The Heir of Merlin
by Kat Morning
Summary: Merlin was the greatest Wizard of all. His legacy, the amulet Achidnae, became a closely kept secret, and nearly destroyed by Voldemort's first reign of terror. Now the Amulet is brought out of hiding as the Heir returns to Hogwarts.
1. Dream of the Animagi

Disclaimer at end

Rating:  PG

Harry Potter and the Heir of Merlin

Prologue.

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The evening sun was setting over the carefully manicured lawns and hedges of Privet Drive.  People were wrapping up their summer barbecues and garden work and preparing to head indoors for a bit of television and perhaps a drink or two before bed.

Three of the inhabitants of Number Four Privet Drive had long since retired to the comfort of their scrupulously tidy house, returning to their separate pastimes of watching TV, spying on the neighbors, and reading the evening paper while the fourth remained outside in the fading summer sun.

The three Dursleys of Number four Privet Drive prided themselves on being perfectly normal (thank you very much!) and staunchly denied the existence of, or any involvement in, anything that could be construed as 'abnormal'.  This being the case, they absolutely despised their nephew's intrusion on their otherwise utterly normal life and banished him outdoors or to his small room every chance they could.  At that very moment Harry Potter was intruding on his relatives by trimming the hedges while his porky cousin, Dudley, smirked at him from the kitchen window during the commercials.

As he sweated, Harry thought longingly of the calendar in his room, where he marked off his days until his return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and most especially the parchment letter sitting on his desk.  The letter had arrived just that morning via Owl Post from his best friend/cohort and fellow wizard-in-training, Ron Weasley, asking him to come and stay for the remainder of the summer!  That would mean five whole Dursley-free summer weeks before the start of term!

As the Weasley's no longer had a car (thanks to Harry and Ron and a Whomping Willow tree) and Floo powder was definitely out, Harry wondered how they would come and collect him.  Perhaps Mr. Weasley would borrow a car from the Ministry of Magic, where he worked.  Harry smiled as he imagined the look on his Uncle's face if one of the stately Ministry cars pulled up to the curb.  It was something torn between grudging admiration and apprehensive illness.  None of Uncle Vernon's experiences with full-grown wizards had been pleasant.

*

Full night fell before Harry's Aunt Petunia stuck her bony face around the kitchen door and interrupted his musings, yelling at him to get back in the house.  He gulped down his glass of water and vegetable sticks, dodging Dudley's Smelting stick, before sprinting up to his room.

Once there, Harry pulled out a piece of parchment and bottle of ink to finish the letter he'd been working on earlier that day.  His godfather, Sirius Black, had hinted in his last letter that he might be able to visit Harry around his birthday.  Harry was eager for more news.  He rubbed his grainy, sleepy eyes before resettling his glasses and beginning to write.

With a peculiar lurch, Harry Potter suddenly found himself standing in the shadow of a tall gray stone column in an unfamiliar room.  How had he gotten here?  And where was he?  He wondered.  A soft rustling of fabric on stone drew his attention to the other occupants of the room.  Perhaps half a dozen dark-robed figures surrounded a tall basalt throne.  The lone occupant of that forbidding throne glared down at the kneeling figure before him.

"My Lord."  The Death Eater visibly shook as he kneeled before his Dark Lord.  "We have located the Amulet of Achidnae, but it has been already been taken to Hogwarts."

"Fool!"  Voldemort snarled.  "That artifact has powers I need!"  Voldemort raised his wand and the unfortunate Death Eater crumpled to the stone floor, writhing in pain.  Harry winced, his lightning shaped scar burning.

"My Lord."  Wormtail stepped forward, distracting Voldemort.  "This is an opportunity!  What better time to take the Amulet and have your revenge?  And right under Dumbledore's nose!"

Voldemort tapped his long slender fingers against his chin in thought.  "Indeed."  He murmured, lowering his wand.  "Amazing, Wormtail!  You have finally had a good idea."  He waved the gasping Death Eater away.  "You will not die today, my servant, but see to it you do not fail me again."

Harry felt a peculiar queasiness as the Death Eater was supported away remembering his own hellish duel only weeks ago.  Voldemort had killed his parents and that time had almost finished the job with Harry.  As if suddenly sensing the alien presence, Voldemort's jaundiced eyes swept the hall, resting finally on the partially hidden Harry.  What looked like hateful triumph blazed briefly in Voldemort's eyes and he raised his wand.  "Accio."  Harry felt himself being pulled inexorably toward the Dark Lord, who smiled cruelly.  "What, no guardians, Young Potter?"  He asked mockingly, raising his wand.  Harry gritted his teeth to keep from crying out as the pain hit him even as he fell to the floor.  His glasses flew off his face from the impact, landing nearby.

Before Voldemort could order another bout of torture, Harry's blurry eyes saw a pair of creatures appear between them, one shadowy black and one blinding white.  Harry groped around momentarily and located his glasses, snapping the world back into focus.  Now he could make out his rescuers.  Standing defiantly between him and Voldemort was a great shaggy black dog and a sleek white unicorn!  The Dark Lord glared at the guardian beasts and the young wizard.  "The Heir of Merlin!"  He hissed with rage.  "How could you have this power already?"  The unicorn reared, slashing the air with its silver hooves while the dog growled, hackles raised.

Harry climbed to his feet and the two animals moved back to flank him.  The unicorn kneeled to allow Harry to climb onto its back.  He quickly clutched at the shining mane, wrapping his hands in the silky strands to keep from falling as the creature rose back to its feet and leapt easily over the clustered Death Eaters.  The dog gave a final growl at Voldemort before following them out the far doors.

Harry started awake, nearly tumbling out of his desk chair.  The clock on his alarm flashed 4:35AM.  Light from the corner lamppost spilled under the curtains, dimly illuminating the familiar confines of his room.  He was still on Privet drive!  No Dark Lord lurked in the shadows here.  The only remnant of his dream excursion was the slight burning of his scar and an uneasy feeling deep in his stomach.

Switching on a small bedside lamp, Harry immediately walked to the end of his bed and quietly lifted the lid to his trunk.  It had happened again!  Voldemort troubled his dreams only when he was feeling particularly murderous or angry, through their connection forged that night that Harry had broken his power.  And Voldemort had been terribly angry when his servant had reported failure!  His first thought was to write to Dumbledore, tell him about the dream and the Amulet Voldemort's Death-Eater had spoken of.  It was obviously something important, though what the dog and the unicorn meant baffled him.

Then it hit him.  The black dog must have been Sirius!  Then who was the Unicorn? 

None of the other Animagi he knew used that form.  But if it was an Animagus Hermione would know.  She had looked up all the registered Animagi two years ago, before they discovered that Sirius Black and Harry's own father, James Potter, were also Animagi.  There was a chance that this Unicorn, like Sirius and James, was an unregistered Animagi, but it wouldn't hurt to ask.

Harry pulled out a parchment and quill and woke up Hedwig to deliver two letters.

_Dear Sirius; _

_Thanks for your last letter.  I'm glad all is well with you.  Snape went to Romania, huh?  Well, I hope a dragon doesn't eat him.  It might make it sick!_

_I don't know if this is important, but I woke up with my scar hurting again last night and I dreamed about Voldemort again.  He was torturing one of his Death Eaters because they hadn't managed to get some sort of amulet for him.  Then he saw me.  But this great black dog -- you I suppose -- and a white unicorn appeared and saved me.  Then I woke up and my scar was hurting again.  Do you suppose it could have been just a dream after all?  Voldemort mentioned an "Heir of Merlin" but I'm sure I've never heard of that before.  And do you know of any animagus that becomes a unicorn?_

_I'm not sure if I should tell Professor Dumbledore or not.  What do you think?  It could have been just a dream._

_I'll be staying with Ron and his family after Friday, so write to me there._

_Say hello to Buckbeak for me!_

_Harry_

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Disclaimer:  This is not my world.  Most of these are not my characters.  I'm simply playing with them to ward off imminent insanity and to take a break from my own writings.  I'm not even going to do anything that I think Ms. Rowling would be ashamed of.


	2. Arrival at the Burrow

Disclaimer:  See chapter 1.

Chapter 2 – Home to the Burrow

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Harry sat nervously, glancing between the fireplace, the window and the door of the Dursley's house.  Friday night had finally arrived and the clock on the mantle struck eight o'clock.

"Typical." Aunt Petunia sniffed.  "Of course they would be . . ." Whatever else she was going to say was lost as the rumbling roar of an engine thundered through Privet Drive.  Harry was on his feet in a flash, bolting for the window, where he let out an excited whoop and rushed to throw open the front door.

Outside a glossy black motorcycle rumbled up the Dursley's drive.  Bill Weasley climbed calmly off the motorcycle – long tied back hair, dragon hide, earring and all - removing his helmet and waving cheerfully at his surrogate younger brother in the doorway.  Uncle Vernon gripped the door tightly, his white knuckles contrasting interestingly with his purple face and twitching moustache as Harry grinned and pried it open to let Bill in.

"Ready to go, Harry?"  Bill asked, climbing the front step.  Harry grinned in response.  "Right then, let's nick on up and get your things then and we'll be off."  Bill said, following Harry up the stairs to the smallest bedroom.

Harry looked at the trunk, cage, and broomstick lying neatly on his bed and started to worry.  "Um, Bill?  How are we going to get all of this on your motorcycle?"

"Don't worry, Harry."  Bill pulled a wand out of his long coat.  "We'll just shrink them down and they'll fit on right enough."  Once his things were shrunk until they could comfortably fit in his knapsack, Harry followed Bill back down the stairs, warily watching Uncle Vernon as if fearing he would suddenly be forbidden to leave with Bill, who he knew looked like some nightmarish combination of rebel teen and fiendish wizard.  The Dursley's, however, didn't say anything.  Uncle Vernon glared at him – muttering something about weirdoes and respect - and Aunt Petunia ignored them completely.  Dudley hid behind the sofa as best he could (which wasn't very well, since he almost stuck out on both sides).

Grateful for the relatively quiet exit from his relative's lives, Harry waved brightly back to them, giddy with anticipation.  "See you next summer!"  Harry waved brightly at his glowering relatives', giddy with anticipation at the thought of freedom.

Bill gunned the engine of the sleek black motorbike as soon as Harry was situated comfortably behind him and they rumbled down the driveway onto Privet Drive.  As soon as they were fully out of sight on the outskirts of town, Bill reached over and flipped a switch and disappeared!  Harry looked down at himself and noticed that he too was invisible and he could see the ground racing by below.  Suddenly, the reason for the invisibility switch was apparent as the ground began receding beneath them!  Harry almost laughed aloud.  The motorcycle could fly!  Just like the one in his dreams from so long ago!  "All right back there, Harry?"  Bill called over his shoulder.  Harry grinned and called back excitedly at him in response.  Bill chuckled and nodded, directing the sleek motorbike higher into the clouds.

*

Harry was beginning to doze off by the time they finally landed and rumbled smoothly up the door of the Burrow.  Bill roused him with a gentle shake.  "Come on, Harry."  He chuckled.  "Let's get you inside."  Harry nodded sleepily, clambering off the bike after Bill and following him inside.

A tall man stood at their entrance and smiled in greeting when he saw Harry.  Clean-shaven and more filled out, Sirius Black was a far cry from the cadaverous creature that had escaped from Azkaban.  "Sirius!"  Harry cried, rushing forward to his Godfather, all vestiges of sleepiness forgotten.

"I promised you'd see me soon, didn't I Harry?"  Sirius grinned, patting Harry's shoulder.  Bill walked up, dropping a set of keys in Sirius's other hand and he nodded in thanks.

Harry blinked in surprise.  "That motorbike is yours, Sirius?"  Sirius chuckled but nodded an affirmative.  "Where'd you get it?"  Harry asked, astounded.  As far as he knew Sirius was still a wanted man; he couldn't exactly just march into a shop and purchase a motorcycle!

"Someone's been keeping it in storage for me."  Sirius answered simply.  Harry still looked a bit shocked.  "What?  I don't know much more than that myself!  Remus rolled it out and just said it was from 'an old friend'."

Harry lowered his voice and drew closer to Sirius aside, grateful that none of the Weasleys were present for the moment.  "Did you get my letter yet?"  Sirius nodded, his face going strangely blank.  "Do you think it WAS just a dream?  What could it mean, Sirius?"

"It may not mean anything."  Sirius shrugged with forced nonchalance.  "It sounds like at least part of it was part dream."

"Why do you think that?"  Harry asked.  Sirius smiled his slightly sad smile.

"Well, I wasn't battling Voldemort three nights ago, Harry.  Especially not with a white unicorn."

His mention of the unicorn jogged Harry's memory and he squinted his eyes in thought.  "Sirius, do you know any Animagi that can turn into unicorns?  Or anything about the Heir of Merlin?"

Sirius considered the request for a few moments before speaking.  "I heard of the Heir of Merlin a very long time ago, yes."  He nodded.  "Merlin was a very great wizard and I have no doubt Voldemort would be after his Heir, but I'm also sure that the Heir will be very well protected."  Sirius noted that Harry didn't look convinced and smiled at his concern.  "In any case, I'll write to Dumbledore in the morning and tell him about your dream.  You just enjoy your time here, Harry.  Let me worry about the Heir of Merlin."

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Final Note:  yes,  (Just in case anyone was curious) that motorcycle is the same one that Hagrid used in the beginning of book 1.


	3. The Birthday Tradition

Chapter 3 – The Birthday Tradition 

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Harry bolted awake early, a foreign feeling of excitement curling through his stomach.  For once in his life, he truly looked forward to celebrating his birthday.  He rolled off his camp bed, careful not to disturb Ron and quietly crept out of the room.

Harry yelped as both his arms were suddenly seized and he was unceremoniously hoisted over Fred's shoulder.  Harry couldn't see her, but he heard Ginny's voice suddenly pipe up from behind him followed by a squeaked protest as George snatched her up and tossed her back into her room.

They trooped down the stairs and out the door, heading quickly along the side of the house.  Suddenly Harry realized where they were headed and struggled harder:  The lily pond that sat to one side of the Burrow.  His arms pin-wheeled frantically as he was hoisted into the air.  He saw a momentary glimpse of his grinning redheaded captors just before landing with a huge *splash*!

Harry popped back up, gasping for air and disrupting a large bullfrog as he waded his way to the pond shore, hair and body streaming water like a young seal.  "Happy Birthday, Harry!"  The twins chorused.  Harry glowered at them momentarily before breaking down and laughing with them.  Fred and George were laughing so hard they swallowed a lot of pond water when Harry finally slogged his way over to them and pulled them into the pond.

Fred and George created a pair of spectacular splashes, taking Harry down with them once more before he popped up closer to the bank and started running.  Harry was small and years of dodging Dudley lent him practice and speed as he flew across the yard, heading for the door, the twins right on his heels.

Harry dashed in the door mowing down the smaller form of Ginny, who was listening just on the other side of the door and hadn't moved quite quickly enough.  For the second time that morning, Harry Potter found himself pin-wheeling through the air before a fairly soft landing.  The only difference was that this time his soft landing was right on top of Ginny.

Ginny squeaked, scrambling to move and glowing bright red.  Harry froze momentarily his mind going blank then also started scrambling to his feet.  Their frantically embarrassed efforts succeeded in them whacking each other's foreheads together soundly, sending them back down in another tangle of arms and legs.  Now they were embarrassed, tangled and had headaches.

A slight pop startled them both into action as Percy appeared in the kitchen.  Harry moaned, wondering absently how much more would happen before breakfast.  "Good morning, Harry."  Percy greeted him distractedly, bustling around grabbing toast and tea and barely acknowledging them.  He pulled up the sleeve of his neatly pressed robe to glance at his watch.  "Well, must hurry.  Can't stay long.  Big day at the Ministry, you know.  I dare say that . . . " He never finished for at that moment he glanced over and did a double take, taking in Harry who was leaning precariously over his sister and Ginny, who was clutching to the front of Harry's pajama top, her long nightdress ridden up on her thigh.

"HARRY!!!"  He looked at his sister once more to identify the flushed redhead sprawled under Harry Potter.   "GINNY!!!  How could . . . How could you . . .?"  He stopped, for once, at a loss for words.  Then he did the only thing a boy could do when he didn't think he could handle a situation.   "MOTHER!!!  Get down here right now.  You won't believe . . . OMPH!"  Percy grunted as Fred and George came barreling in, tripped over the sprawled forms of Harry and Ginny and did a splendid double swan dive into Percy.  The whole group skidded a bit, crashing into the old table that dominated the kitchen and pulling the tablecloth and slightly chipped tea set down over the top of them.  

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley rushed in and pulled up short, blinking several times at the carnage that lay before them.  Between the various arms, legs, clothes and tablecloth, Harry, Percy, Ginny and the Twins were a completely tangled, dripping mess sprinkled liberally with broken china and bruises.  Percy's horn-rimmed glasses hung precariously from the single teacup that had managed to survive and Harry's were across the room on the doorstep.

A loud, rumbling sound from the stairs heralded the arrival of Hermione and the rest of the Weasley clan who pulled up short at the bottom of the stairs and gawked at the human tangle on the floor.

"Mother, please!"  Percy cried, trying to halt the hysterical laughter that was flowing over them.  Even Hermione was having a difficult time staying upright and was leaning on Ron's shoulder with tears running down her face.

Mrs. Weasley finally calmed herself down to chuckles after Percy's wail.  "All right, that's enough of that."  She pointed at the stairwell with her wand.  "I've got breakfast to prepare.  Out all of you."  She pointed at the stairwell.  "Now."  She snapped, cutting off Ron's protest.

"Thank you mother."  Percy said, carefully extracting himself from the pile and rescuing his glasses.  "At least no one else will see us in this undignified position."

At that moment Sirius Black and Remus Lupin appeared at the door.

"I'm not even going to ask."  Remus held up his hands defensively as Percy glared at him warningly.

"Is that Harry under there?"  Sirius asked, picking up the familiar set of glasses from the floor and trying to peer under the red hair and assorted nightwear.  He grinned as he saw a thatch of black hair and a random hand wave at him.

"Come on, you lot, let's get you off the floor."  Mrs. Weasley bustled in and started setting her kitchen to rights again and conjuring breakfast.  Mr. Weasley, Sirius and Remus quickly jumped in to help untangle the now soggy pile of Weasleys and Harry.

Ginny finally extracted herself from underneath Harry and immediately rounded on her brothers.  "What were you bloody thinking throwing Harry into the pond like that?"  She demanded.  Fred and George shrank back as their diminutive sibling glared balefully at them.  Harry was sharply reminded of the miniature dragon figurine that sat in his trunk.  For being such a small girl, Ginny did an impressive impersonation of a Hungarian Horntail.  Though, with her smaller size and mane of red hair, she was more of a Chinese Fireball.

"Now Gin . . ." Percy started, attempting to make peace.  Ginny's face snapped up to him and she growled very low for him to back off.  "Right then."  He nodded, edging his way carefully toward the door and freedom.  "Carry on.  I'd rather not be late for work.  Pleasant day all."  Percy escaped out the door.

"Ginny dear, perhaps you should change, you're all wet."  Mrs. Weasley pointed out calmly before Ginny could resume her tirade.  Ginny blinked, looked down at her white cotton nightdress and gasped, blushing to the roots before fleeing the kitchen.

*

Breakfast was a somewhat quieter ordeal; though Ginny - shy during her best times – stayed bright scarlet the entire time and now refused to even look at Harry which, for some odd reason, bothered him slightly.  She was also the first to leave the table when Mrs. Weasley reminded them all to remember their lists for the trip to Diagon Alley that morning.

Since he couldn't very well join them in wandering down Diagon Alley, Sirius had agreed to help Mr. and Mrs. Weasley prepare for the party later that evening while Professor Lupin and Bill shepherded Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny and the Twins.

The fact that now he was allowed to rejoin the wizarding world he was never out of sight of a trusted witch or wizard – and more often both - didn't escape Harry.  However, he was hoping for a bit of freedom once they reached Diagon Alley.  He checked to make sure he had everything he would need before grabbing his school list and pelting downstairs to join the others.  Professor Lupin and Sirius stood, talking quietly.  

"Wonder if we'll have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."  Ron mused, joining him and looking over their book lists for the upcoming term.

"Mad-eye's been reassigned, actually."  Professor Lupin smiled, turning to them.  "So you'll have to put up with me for a month or two first before Professor Myfanwy takes over."  They all gasped happily at this news and Professor Lupin smiled before explaining.  "Professor Snape is going to be gone on an errand for the first part of the term.  Professor Dumbledore asked me to teach the class while Professor Myfanwy takes over Potions."

Sirius paled visibly.  "Myfanwy?"  He croaked.  Lupin cuffed him on the shoulder.

"Don't scare them, Padfoot.  She's not THAT bad!"  He grinned as Harry and Ron's puzzled looks morphed into slight apprehension.  Sirius didn't respond.  He seemed preoccupied with the revelation and he wasn't completely sure, but Harry thought he heard Sirius mutter under his breath.

"I really think I'd rather deal with Snape."

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For future reference: If you don't know what happens to white cotton when it gets wet . . . it basically goes transparent.  I'm not saying any more.


	4. Diagon Alley

Yes, I know it's a bit late. At least it is according to my schedule. I'll release the next   
part early to make up for it!   
  
Also, if you have not yet read the revised section of Chapter 3 I suggest you do. I added a   
bit more than a full page to the end.   
  
As always:   
Please leave a review!

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Morning sun filtered in the windows of the Leaky Cauldron as Harry and his friends tumbled out of the sooty fireplace of the Leaky Cauldron.  They quickly brushed the soot off their robes before stepping out into the active atmosphere of Diagon Alley.  Cloaked witches and wizards bustled about, dragging children or carrying parcels and bags from shop to shop.  The wizards' almost carefree attitude made a sharp contrast to the undercurrent of alert tension emanating from Professor Lupin and Bill Weasley when they flanked the group and made a beeline for Gringotts.  

The two adults relaxed slightly as they entered the marble and stone confines of the Wizarding Bank and allowed the resident goblins to shepherd their charges through the twisting tunnels in the bowels of London.  The Ministry of Magic's staunch denial of Voldemort's return and Dumbledore's insistence created a tenser environment in Wizarding London than Harry remembered.  Despite that, Harry asked Professor Lupin if he, Ron and Hermione could finish their shopping without an escort as long as they promised to stay close.

Before Professor Lupin answered, a sharp shattering crash from Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor startled everyone.  Professor Lupin and Bill immediately drew their wands on the invader.  The small black cat paused, glaring over the table's edge at the offending glass and sat down primly, watching the group with its mismatched eyes.  Professor Lupin smiled ruefully at the cat and put his wand away, turning back to answer Harry.  "I don't see why not.  Just stay in Diagon Alley."

"That means you two," Bill added pointedly to the Twins,  "stay out of Knockturn Alley!"  Fred and George's gleeful smiles drooped a bit at this but they agreed before slipping into the crowds.  "Someone better keep an eye on those two."  Bill sighed, settling his wand in easy reach before striding off into the Wizarding crowds.

Professor Lupin warned the remaining four to be careful and to be back in the Leaky Cauldron in two hours.  He also reminded them to head for Gringotts, the Leaky Cauldron, or Ollivanders should there be a problem.  This, Harry decided, would be the way of things for a while:  keeping one eye on their surroundings and one eye on an escape route.

As the four started out Hermione and Ron glanced at each other briefly before taking up opposite sides of Harry and Ginny.  Harry suddenly found himself sandwiched between a glowering Ron and a resigned looking Ginny.  She caught his eye, and grinned, sharing her amusement with his friends' antics.  Harry returned the grin gladly, feeling a twinge of relief that Ginny finally seemed to be getting over her shyness towards him.  The two snapped out of their thoughts as the foursome stepped into Quality Quidditch Supplies, mostly on the insistence of Harry and Ron but partly in an attempt to distract Ron and Hermione.

It had been going on all morning now, ever since Ron walked past Ginny's open door and caught her and Hermione looking over the pictures Hermione had taken over her holiday in Eastern Europe earlier that summer.  Sirius had nearly torn up the stairs when he and Harry heard the fighting, until Harry explained Ron's temper and Ginny arrived to confirm it.  Since then everyone in the house mostly ignored the flare-ups and occasionally separated them.

*

"Can you believe Dumbledore's letting Professor Lupin teach us again?"  Ron asked as they browsed through the brightly lit shelves of sports supplies.  "Not that I don't like him or anything."  He explained hurriedly.  "But with him being a well, you know . . . I wouldn't think the parents would allow it."

"Well, with Professor Myfanwy there, I'm not surprised."  Hermione replied.  The two boys looked at her oddly and she beamed as though a new edition of ~_Hogwarts, A History~_ had just been announced.  "This is the most incredible opportunity!  I'm sure we'll learn loads!  I mean . . ."

"Hermione!"  Ron cut her off.  "What are you talking about?"

"Well, Professor Myfanwy, of course!"  Hermione stared at them, amazed.  "You don't know who she is?  Did you two even do the werewolf essay for Professor Snape in third year?  Oh never mind!  Rowan Myfanwy is the wizarding world's foremost expert on lycanthropy!"  Spotting Harry and Ron throw each other confused looks Hermione sighed in frustration. "On werewolves!  She's written all these books on it and done all this research!  She's amazing, really she is!"

"Snuffles seemed worried about her."  Harry pointed out, browsing through an assortment of broom polishes.

"She's probably another Auror like Moody."  Ron shrugged.  "Or a defected Death Eater like Snape.  Either one would love to haul him back to Azkaban."

"Professor Dumbledore wouldn't hire Death Eater, Ron."  Ginny shook her head.  "Just because she's really interested in Dark Creatures like werewolves . . ."

"He keeps Snape on, doesn't he?"

*

After dragging Harry and Ron from Quality Quidditch Supplies, they entered Flourish and Blotts to purchase their schoolbooks.  Inside they saw several other Hogwarts students already loaded down with heavy bags of books.  Ron and Harry started searching through the Divination section while Hermione and Ginny disappeared in search of their own books.

After the two boys located their Divination books, Harry sheared off into the magical history section and began studying the spines of all the books around him.  The leather-bound books held the names of all the great wizards of the past.  Except for the one that he was looking for.

Ron followed and watched his friend curiously for a few more moments before speaking.   "What are you doing Harry?"  He asked.  He'd only seen one other person with that look on their face before.  "You look like Hermione."  Actually Harry looked like a Hermione just informed that a single essay would replace all her O.W.L.s.

"I need a book on Merlin."  Harry answered, still scanning the shelves.

"Why?"  Ron asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.  "That's not required reading.  Is it?"

"No."  Harry shook his head; he paused long enough in his search to glance back at Ron. "I want to figure out who the Heir is and what the Amulet of Achidnae is.  Voldemort . . ." Ron flinched and Harry rolled his eyes.  "Sorry . . .You-Know-Who is after it and I want to know why."

Harry didn't add that another good reason for him knowing as much about the Amulet of Achidnae was that if Voldemort was after it he probably intended to use it against their side.  For Harry Potter, knowing the capabilities of the Amulet of Achidnae could easily become a matter of survival.

"Ask Hermione."  Ron suggested.  Harry noticed Ron begin scanning the book spines as well.  "I bet she knows."

"She doesn't."  Harry muttered.  "I already asked her.  She's never heard of the Amulet before."  He grinned wryly at his friend.  "It's not mentioned in ~_Hogwarts, A History~_."

Several minutes later a middle-aged wizard interrupted their search, startling Harry and Ron slightly.  "Can I help you boys find anything?"  He asked, adjusting his round spectacles on his nose.

"I need a book on Merlin."  Harry requested politely.  The wizard nodded, waving them towards the back of the shop and lead them to a carved archway.

"Here you go."  The wizard gestured them inside.  "We have quite a good selection here.  Do you have a certain title in mind?"  Harry peered into the candlelit alcove beyond and blinked in amazement.  The archway opened up on a small room, stacked from floor to ceiling with tomes and scrolls of varying age.  Ron shook his head and wondering aloud where Hermione had gotten.  Research was her element.  Then again, Harry thought, knowing Hermione, she'd probably know the name, author, and publication date of the perfect, all-inclusive book on Merlin.

"Which ones are the books on Merlin?"  He ventured, hoping he wouldn't hear 'all of them'.

"These ARE the books on Merlin."  The assistant informed him.  "Well, except for a few of the more popular ones.  You'll find those up front in the History section.  Anything else I can help with?"

Harry hesitated, wondering if he should ask about the Amulet or Heir to narrow down his search.  The wizard looked trustworthy enough, but Harry found himself shaking his head and thanking the wizard assistant for his help.  He looked from Ron to the room full of books.  They had another hour before their rendezvous with Professor Lupin at the Leaky Caldron.

After about twenty minutes of searching, Ron snapped his book back onto its shelf in frustration.  "This isn't getting us anywhere, Harry!  I'm going to go find Hermione."  Harry nodded absently as Ron stalked out of the small room.

Several minutes later Harry pulled out a good-sized leather book that looked promising.  The title read:  'Vox Veritas Argentum:  A Highly Practical Guide to the Many Myths and Legends of the Wizard Merlin.' By Priscilla Skuld; and the inner covers were illuminated with drawings of castles, runes and magical beasts.  This, Harry decided, looked like a good place to start.  Tucking the book under his arm, Harry left the alcove and worked his way over to the Charms section where he'd last seen Hermione and Ginny.  Ron, he figured would most likely be with them.

"Ron, I found a . . . whoa!"  Ginny backed blindly into his chest, clutching a slender pink book to her shirt.  Harry started to apologize but stopped as Hermione's piercing shout echoed through the store.

  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Review. Review. Review. Review. Review. Review. Review. Review. Review. Review. Review. Review. Review. Review.  
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	5. Birthdays and Books

See? Told you I'd get this one out faster! It's a long one too. Author's notes, as usual,   
are at the end!  
  
Thanks for reading.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry pulled Ginny behind him and handed her his book before drawing his wand.  Ginny shifted the two books to her left arm and reached out, trying to haul him back.  "Harry!  Wait!"  Harry shook her off and crept carefully around the shelves, making his way to where he'd heard Hermione's alarmed shout.  And walked straight into yet another blazing Ron vs. Hermione row.  Ron's scowling face had darkened to almost the same shade as his hair and Hermione looked furious.

"I did attempt to warn you."  Ginny commented dryly, coming up behind Harry.  They backpedaled before Ron or Hermione noticed them, slipping further back into the shelves.

"What brought this on?"  Harry asked, retrieving his book from Ginny.  "I thought the Death Eaters were attacking!"

Ginny giggled and shook her head. "Ron's being a prat.  He blew up over a book."  She explained, holding up the guilty object.  "It got mishelved."  Harry read the words 'Dolce Amour:  Potions and Spells for Special Occasions' scrawled in dramatic gold calligraphy across the cover.  "We found it while we were looking for Charm books."

Harry nodded sighing inwardly.  One of these days his friends would make it official.

"They act like a married couple don't they?"  Harry started as Ginny verbally echoed his train of thought.  He looked over at her and noticed the mischievous smile he'd seen so often on the Twins tugging at her lips.  She turned to him and opened the pink book.  "Think we should test that theory?"  Harry's eyes widened and Ginny laughed outright at his expression.  A final sounding shout caught their attention.  Moments later a fuming red-faced Ron stormed past making Ginny spring back into the bookshelves.  She glared after her brother until Harry caught her eye and nodded in the opposite direction.

"Better go check on Hermione.  I'll handle Ron."

*

Bill appeared in Flourish and Blotts soon after, herding the Twins before him and walked back to the Leaky Cauldron with them for the trip home.  They saw Professor Lupin seated at a far table speaking with a raven-haired witch in dark rose pink robes.  Harry found himself reminded strongly of Fleur Delacour, the part veela Beaubaxton's champion during the Triwizard Tournament.

Suddenly the witch stood, swept on her gold velvet cloak and gathered a small brown wrapped package and a long, slender box into her hands.  She waved farewell to Lupin and turned, nearly crashing into Bill before she could make the door.  She blushed lightly and immediately apologized before slipping out of the pub to Disapparate followed by the appreciative eyes of several wizards.  Professor Lupin frowned slightly and shook his head.

"Who was that?"  Harry asked as they all joined Professor Lupin and sat down.  Bill momentarily looked both disappointed and distracted by the encounter but perked up as Remus answered.

"Morgaine Myfanwy.  She's was doing some shopping for Rowan and stopped by to say hello."  Professor Lupin replied, standing and gathering his few sacks around him.  "Have everything you need?"

"Myfanwy?  They have a veela teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts?"  Bill looked impressed and shook his head.  "Boy, that's a step up from Moody, eh?"

"She can't be a veela."  Hermione sniffed, glancing back at the door suspiciously.  Hermione didn't particularly like veela.  "Veela don't have dark hair and Ron's not acting like a total prat over her."

"Well, that one did!"  Ron argued.  "And what do you mean by that?"

Lupin answered before Hermione, his gray eyes glowing with suppressed mirth at their antics.  "The Myfanwy's had a some-odd great-grandmother, on their mother's side I believe, that was veela."  He commented mildly.  "Morgaine takes evenly after both her parents.  Rowan takes more after her father."  Lupin smiled.  He remembered Ambrosias Myfanwy as a toweringly tall and impressive enigma of a wizard.  Mr. Myfanwy had uncovered some of the Marauders' most audacious summer plots without comment and only sabotaged a few of the more dangerous ones.  Remus always suspected they were more in trouble for being caught than committing the act.

Remus shook the potentially painful memories away and tossed a pinch of Floo powder into the fireplace flames.  Harry stepped through first, loaded with packages and shouted, "The Burrow!"

* 

Harry tumbled headlong out of the fireplace and onto the hearthrug of the Burrow.  Sirius gripped his arm and helped haul him up, brushing the soot off his clothes.

"Happy Birthday, Harry!"  He grinned, looking happier than Harry had yet seen him outside of pictures.  Harry grinned back but his answer was cut short as the fireplace spewed forth Ginny Weasley.  Ginny squeaked as she tripped slightly on the hearthrug and stumbled into Harry's arms.  They stared at each other in surprise for a few seconds before the flames flared again heralding another imminent arrival.  Hermione looked at them, smiled slightly and greeted Sirius.  Ginny mumbled an apology to Harry without looking at him before carrying her things over to join Hermione and the two girls disappeared up the stairs with their packages.  Harry watched them leave, feeling bewildered and wondering at Ginny's strange behavior.  One minute she teased and joked with him and the next she couldn't stand to be in the same room without blushing and stammering.  Girls, he decided, were very odd.

*

Harry was amazed.  After years of watching the Dursley's kitchen table groan under the weight of Dudley's birthday presents it felt surprisingly good to look at his own small horde.  He found himself casting glances at the brightly colored pile sitting atop a homemade patchwork quilt draped over the garden bench.  

Strings of glowing colored lumaria surrounded the garden and occasionally reformed themselves into different animal shapes.  Bill and Sirius had flown a pair of large and well-worn tables outside for the small feast Mrs. Weasley conjured and covered them with crisp linen tablecloths.  

Everyone sat back and watched with great amusement as Mrs. Weasley chased Fred and George out of her kitchen for the third time.  She, obviously, didn't trust their 'culinary improvements' one bit.  Neither did anyone else, and they regarded anything the Twins handed them with suspicion.

After dinner Fred and George put on a lively display of Filibusters Fireworks for everyone while Mrs. Weasley disappeared into the kitchen for a moment and reappeared levitating an enormous layered birthday cake with green and gold icing.  The fifteen candles on top of the cake threw colored sparks into the air showering everyone with glowing sparkles that didn't go out for almost an hour.

Ron handed Harry his present first, a complex-looking device that turned out to be the magical equivalent to a pocketknife with potion scoops and spark-makers and various other things.  Harry thanked Ron as he flipped through the various gadgets, trying a few out.

Hagrid sent several varieties of sweets he'd no doubt picked up on his travels over the summer as well as his traditional stock of treacle fudge and rock cakes.  

Ginny blushed madly and hid partially behind Bill when Harry picked up her gift.  Harry smiled encouragingly at her and carefully pulled off the paper.  He ran his hand admiringly over the smoothly fitted wood patchwork and carefully carved Hogwarts Crest of the small keepsake box.

Harry laughed when he pulled the bright paper and ribbons off Hermione's weighty package and revealed his very own leather bound volume of ~_Hogwarts, a History~._  Inside the front cover Hermione had written a short note that Harry chuckled at but wouldn't let anyone read.

Bill handed him a slender gold Egyptian amulet inscribed liberally with hieroglyphics.  Harry regarded it cautiously at first, having heard about some of the curses of the ancient Egyptian priests from Ron but relaxed when Bill looped it around his neck, promising it was safe.  The Twins, obviously, hadn't been allowed to touch it.

Opening Professor Lupin's package revealed a red-bound book called "Seekers' Secrets:  A Complete Guide and Strategy Handbook" complete with moving photos off the best Seekers, their tactics and their histories.

Fred and George presented him with a healthy-sized gift certificate to 'Weasley's Wizard Wheezes' along with a copy of their latest catalog – marked liberally with suggestions.  They also handed him a new set of broom polishes but Sirius apprehended these shooting a warning look at the Twins.  They both shrugged and muttered something about not wanting to win the Quidditch Cup with a pink Firebolt anyway.

Professor Lupin also presented Harry with a small box wrapped in heavy scarlet paper and tied with a gold bow.  "This one's not from me, but I was asked to give it to you."

"Who's it from?"  Harry asked, staring apprehensively at the box.  Lupin just smiled and gestured for Harry to open it, which he did.  A flash of gold zipped out of the box, startling Harry into dropping the box with a yelp.  The flash quivered momentarily then resolved itself into a winged, walnut-sized, golden ball.  Harry put his hand up and the Golden Snitch hovered obediently above it.  He noticed a stylized lightning bolt etched into the golden surface.

The small card attached to the gift simply said:  "Happy birthday, Harry!" and was signed with an elegantly penned R.M.

Hermione picked up the box and pulled out a small instruction scroll with "Quality Quidditch Supplies" printed neatly on the backside.

"It says you just say 'Begin' to start it and to stop it you either catch it or yell out 'Snitch' and it will return to your hand."  Hermione reported, reading through the instructions.  "You can even change the return word and it will stay within the measurements of a Quidditch pitch."

"Excellent!  Now we can play a proper game of Quidditch!"  Ron noted enthusiastically.

"Now you can practice all the moves in the book!"  Hermione grinned.  "It's nice that the presents match so well."  For some odd reason Professor Lupin seemed to find this amusing and Sirius gave him a decidedly suspicious look.

Sirius's present was also wrapped in red and gold, an inverted image of the mysterious package.  Harry pulled the paper off to reveal a black velvet box.  Nestled inside was an exquisitely made gold pocket watch.  Its crystal face winked delicately in the sunlight, covering an intricate assembly of stars and moons and suns that spun around in a complicated array.  Harry carefully closed the watch and traced the relief on its surface:  A baying wolf and a shaggy black hound crouched in a field of lilies under the majestic forms of a stag and a unicorn.  If he looked carefully he could even see the tiny rat hidden between the wolf and the dog's paws.

"It was James's."  Sirius said, watching Harry trace the figures with his finger.  "His parents gave it to him when he was made Head Boy.  I thought you would like it."

Harry stared at the heirloom.  Something not only from his father, but from his unknown grandparents as well!

"Oi!  Harry!"  Ron called, distracting Harry from asking Sirius and Lupin more questions about the mysterious heirloom.  "Lets break in your new snitch before it gets too dark!"  Harry grinned, tucking his new watch into his pocket and raced Ron for the stairs.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Review! Review! Review! Review! Review! Review! Review! Review! Review! Review! Review! Review! Review! Review!  
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Now I must give huge great and prolific thanks to my betas: Megan, Kayla and Imogen. They all give me excellent advice and the occasional death threat to keep me going. And seeing as yesterday was Megan's birthday, this is something of a belated birthday present. Happy Birthday Megan!  
  
Lavona: *evil grin* *bows* expect worse ones. Cliffhangers are fun! (for me anyway.)  
Krissy: now you know!  
Colorful: Await no longer!  
Sweet Tooth: It's on my computer, in my head and in about 5 notebooks. ^_~  
Zo'or: Glad you're enjoying it. Harry/Hermione? No it is not. It will eventually be   
Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione with a side of another big polygon.  
Mystic Jade: *laughs* Akimi, you're a sweetheart!  
Kelzery: Thanks! And I should be asking you that!


	6. Returning to Hogwarts

Chapter 6 – Returning to Hogwarts  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The morning of September the first dawned dismal and cold, heralding the arrival of autumn. Despite the early morning chill, the residents of the Burrow were a flurry of activity.  
  
Everyone woke to the sound and smell of Mrs. Weasley's magical cooking, and stumbled bleary-eyed down the stairs into the kitchen. They quickly grabbed toast with jam and mugs of hot tea before bolting back upstairs for trunks, owls, and assorted knick-knacks.  
  
In all the chaos Harry managed to step on Crookshanks, bang Hedwig's cage against the banister, and run into Ginny, who was returning his Egyptian amulet after he'd left it on the sofa the night before.  
  
After the usual insanity of cramming eight people, six trunks, four brooms, two owls, and bandy-legged cat in a basket into a pair of sleek, black, Ministry cars – which Mr. Weasley had borrowed from work - they started for London, Kings Cross Station and the Hogwarts Express.  
  
~*~  
  
At ten minutes till eleven, everyone slid through the barrier between platforms nine and ten and onto the wizarding Platform nine and three- quarters. Mrs. Weasley hugged each of them just before they boarded the scarlet steam engine, wishing them luck with the new term and threatening Fred and George to do well on their N.E.W.T.S. or else.  
  
Once they boarded the train the twins sheared off from the others to join their friend Lee Jordan and see whatever new creature he'd managed to sneak on the train. Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione moved toward the end of the train in search of an empty compartment.  
  
As the train lurched into motion, Harry pulled out a couple of books and started reading. Over the summer he'd cajoled Professor Lupin or one of the older Weasleys to return to Flourish and Blotts for him several more time and buy more books on Merlin, but he wasn't any closer to finding the Heir or even a name to work with. Professor Lupin had seemed strangely suspicious of his sudden obsession and Sirius had told him to leave it alone several times. That only made him more curious. He suspected they knew far more than they were telling him.  
  
Meanwhile, the book search was frustrating. Many books mentioned Merlin and his achievements; very few mentioned his family. Even Hermione had trouble gleaning much from the references.  
  
Ginny picked up the second book Harry had retrieved from his bag. The sturdy cover had begun to show some wear from being dragged all over. "Vox Veritas Argentum," she read off the cover before opening it to flip through the pages. "Sounds like some sort of spell."  
  
"Not a spell," Harry corrected, barely glancing up from his book. "It's someone who can talk to magical beasts."  
  
"Like Parseltongue then?" Ron asked dubiously, joining the conversation. Parseltongue – the magical ability to speak to snakes - was considered the mark of a Dark wizard by most of the magical community. The fact that Harry was a Parselmouth only made it marginally better in Ron's opinion.  
  
"Sort of. But it's a lot more rare, apparently. There's only been one in the past thousand years: Merlin. Several books mention it. That one's the only one that really explains it, though."  
  
"Do you think this Heir person is one then?" Ron asked. "That would make You-Know-Who go after them, wouldn't it?"  
  
Hermione shook her head. "Probably not, Ron. After all, Merlin lived over a thousand years ago! There may have been over twenty Heirs since then. They can't all be Vox Veritas Argentum."  
  
"Then why's You-Know-Who after them?" Ron countered. "There has to be a reason, Hermione."  
  
"What about the Amulet?" Ginny asked, turning to Harry. "You said You- Know-Who wanted some sort of Amulet in your dream - Echidna or something. What does it do?"  
  
"Achidnae." Harry corrected, leaning forward and flipping to a page in the book Ginny held. "It's listed here."  
  
'The Amulet of Achidnae disappeared from public view twenty years before its creator's demise. This artifact, quite possibly one of the wizard Merlin's greatest works, bestows its wielder with the power to control any magical beast. However, only a witch or wizard with the blood of Merlin may use it safely. Similar to the sword Excalibur (see pg. 516), the Amulet is sealed to Merlin's line by blood-pact. Any other bloodline using the Amulet brings a soul-blight, the equivalent of the Dementors' Kiss. It is suspected Merlin instilled this quality as a security measure.'  
  
"That sounds like Dark Magic, that does." Ron swallowed uncomfortably and Hermione nodded her agreement. "Dad's told us about some of the Dark objects he sees at work. That thing sounds worse than most." Ron sounded as though he thought they should give the scheme up now and let Dumbledore handle it. Harry, privately, began to agree when Ginny surprisingly piped up.  
  
"I don't thing the Heir's a Dark wizard, Ron." The others looked at her strangely and she blushed but continued. "What about things like dementors or basilisks or even werewolves? What if the dementors left Azkaban? They can't be killed and not everyone can create a Patronus. Wouldn't it be good to have someone around that could control those creatures? That must be why Merlin created the Amulet!" Ginny concluded. "Merlin wasn't a Dark wizard, but he must have know about them and probably didn't want someone like You-Know-Who or Salazar Slytherin using the Amulet, so he bonded it to his family."  
  
The other three regarded the youngest Weasley with surprise. "You," Ron grinned, "have been spending too much time around Hermione."  
  
~*~  
  
The rhythmic sway and clatter of the Hogwarts Express nearly lulled Harry to sleep as they journeyed through the Scottish countryside. He set his book aside and stretched a bit before picking it back up. Harry flipped idly through the pages, frustrated that the answer was so elusive. At least with Flamel, he thought, they'd had a name to go on.  
  
His eyes wandered about the compartment, sliding quickly away from his two best friends, who were splitting their time between light quarreling and sitting rather close in complete silence. For some reason he found himself a bit uncomfortable with whatever was going on between them. Besides, Harry found his seatmate more interesting, as he caught himself casting surreptitious glances toward her. Ginny, happily curled up with one of his other books, remained oblivious to Harry's attention as she idly split her time stroking Crookshanks and turning pages.  
  
A sudden muffled shout followed by painful sounding thump drew them all to the door and a brewing fight.  
  
"Come on, Longbottom, I'm just going to prove that he flies better than you do." They heard Malfoy drawl and saw him moving toward an open window with Neville's toad dangling by one leg.  
  
"No! Trevor!" Neville shouted, struggling madly between Crabbe and Goyle, who were watching and chuckling evilly.  
  
"Give that here, Malfoy!" Harry demanded, pushing by Crabbe and holding out his hand. Ron barreled through right behind him, eyes hard. Malfoy sneered nastily but stepped back.  
  
"Don't you want to see the Squib's pet fly, Potter?"  
  
"No. Now give it here!" Harry yelled, stepping closer.  
  
"Why don't you follow the flying toad then?" Malfoy grinned. Before Harry closed the distance Malfoy tossed Trevor out the window! Hermione screamed and lunged forward, almost losing her wand in the process.  
  
"Accio, Trevor!" Ginny shouted, pulling the shell-shocked toad smoothly back through the window and into her hands. She turned and trained her wand on Malfoy. Malfoy suddenly found three threatening wands trained on his pointed nose; five, once Hermione reawakened the fainted Neville with a quick: "Enervate."  
  
Malfoy's face darkened as Crabbe and Goyle reluctantly rejoined him and the three edged toward the door. "You'll get yours, Potter," he snarled. "The Dark Lord has returned and this year we won't have some freak for a Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher! We'll see how you fare with someone of proper wizarding blood."  
  
"Malfoy, either make sense or leave," Hermione snapped. "Or better yet, just leave! How would you know who's teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts this year?"  
  
"It's Rowan Myfanwy." He smirked. "Father says she even treats our family like Mudbloods and makes us look like paupers." He glanced pointedly at Ron's rather shabby robes and sneered at Hermione. "Imagine what she'll think of you." Malfoy stalked out of the car, trailing his twin trolls and the five relaxed.  
  
"Is the new teacher really Rowan Myfanwy?" Neville asked worriedly, clutching Trevor and shaking.  
  
"Professor Lupin told us she is," Harry confirmed as he and Ron exchanged a look, both remembering Sirius' reaction to the news. Hermione caught the look and shook her head in annoyance.  
  
"Honestly!" She chided. "Why are you trusting Malfoy? Professor Myfanwy's brilliant! She developed the Wolfsbane Potion and Dumbledore hired her! How bad can she be?"  
  
"Snape's brilliant at potions too, Hermione," Ginny pointed out quietly. "And Dumbledore hired Lockhart and Moody."  
  
"And Quirrell!" Ron added stubbornly. "So we could be getting a vampire this time!"  
  
"Morgaine wasn't a vampire, Ron!" Hermione argued. "That's Professor Myfanwy's sister and she didn't seem horrid, did she?" Hermione sounded the faintest bit insulted over how much Ron and the other boys hadn't found Morgaine Myfanwy horrid. "In fact she seemed quite . . . nice."  
  
Yes, Harry thought silently, Morgaine Myfanwy seemed very nice. But his mother, Lily Potter, had also been very nice and had Petunia Dursley for a sister!  
  
Their blossoming argument ended as the train ground to a halt and compartment doors began opening and spilling forth students.  
  
"Well, looks like we're about to find out either way." Ginny noted. "We're here."  
  
~*~  
  
Even though Professor Lupin had told him months earlier, Harry entered the Great Hall halfway sure that somehow Snape would still be in his customary spot, glaring hatefully at them and Lupin. Many students already whispered amongst themselves, pointing toward the front of the Great Hall and its conspicuously full staff table. Professor Lupin sat near the end of the staff table, speaking quietly with a raven-haired witch in silver-edged white velvet robes. This, Harry realized, could only be Professor Myfanwy. Harry thought she resembled the pictures he'd seen of Morgan Le Fay from his Merlin books. Professor Myfanwy radiated an aura of cool aristocracy in everything from her refined movements to her pale eyes and dark hair. She was a pale and distinctly cold-looking copy of her younger sister Morgaine. She certainly looked the part Malfoy described.  
  
Professor Dumbledore rose and cleared his throat, his merry blue eyes sparkling as he smiled at the assemblage. "Best clear a few announcements out before we are all befuddled by our most excellent feast! I'm pleased to welcome a new addition to our staff table this year as well as a returning member.  
  
"First, Professor Myfanwy has agreed to brave the position of teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts." The witch nodded and smiled coolly at the students, her crystal-pale blue eyes scanning them; they rested longer on Harry than on anyone else, flickering to his green eyes and lightning scar before moving on. Harry felt the urge to flatten his bangs across it.  
  
"Professor Snape is abroad doing some crucial work right now and won't be able to return for a few months. Professor Myfanwy has kindly agreed to take his place for the time being and will be teaching your Potions classes until his return. Many of you, I'm sure, remember Professor Lupin. He will handle the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes for Professor Myfanwy until Professor Snape returns." There was scattered applause at this announcement, most of it from Gryffindor and most of it because Snape was gone.  
  
"I understand several positions are available on each of the House Quidditch teams. Trials will be held the second week of term. All interested students must contact Madam Hooch before that time. I must also remind all students that the Forbidden Forest and the village of Hogsmeade are forbidden unless you are accompanied by a teacher." Dumbledore gazed at them all sternly for a moment before he smiled again and waved them to their plates. "Let the feast begin."  
  
~*~  
  
After dinner, the students drifted sleepily off to their dormitories and bed. Several groups whispered amongst themselves, amazed, delighted or terrified at their werewolf teacher's return. Harry and Ron, who had known that Professor Lupin was returning for over a month, made a last-ditch attempt to persuade Hermione, who still insisted that Professor Myfanwy wouldn't be as horrid as they assumed. Ron rolled his eyes at her and mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "Lockhart".  
  
"She could be really nice, you know" Hermione objected, but even she didn't sound too hopeful. "Professor Lupin said she wasn't that bad."  
  
"Not that bad?" Ron replied incredulously. "In comparison to what? You heard what Malfoy said! She's really rich! And she has a really old wizarding bloodline! And did you see those eyes?" He shuddered slightly, remembering the teacher's cold sapphire eyes sweeping over him. "Creepy! She looks like a pale-eyed vampire!"  
  
Hermione glared at him, but didn't disagree with his assessment.  
  
~*~*~*~ 


	7. Potions Class

Chapter 6 – The Potions Class

~*~*~*~

The next morning, everyone received new timetables with mixed emotions.  Harry and Ron groaned.  They had Divination first thing and right after that was Double Potions with the Slytherins.  Not only did that mean trekking from the top of the north tower all the way down to the dungeons, but it meant two hours holed up in a dank dungeon with the Slytherins and Professor Myfanwy.

Yet more bad news arrived with the morning owls.  Hermione opened her copy of the _Daily Prophet_ and immediately showed it to Ron and Harry.

_MORE TROUBLE AT AZKABAN_

Following the unprecedented escape of mass murder, Sirius Black, two years ago and the more recent rumors about the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, the Dementor Guards of Azkaban have reportedly become restless as of late.  Cornelius Fudge, current Minister of Magic, was not available for comment.  Ministry representative Percy Weasley, newly appointed Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, is quoted as saying, "They are just that, rumors, there is no solid proof substantiating either tale", before declining further comment on the matter.

The Ministry also came under fire earlier this month for a second alleged escape, this time of many of the most ardent supporters of the Dark Lord, and believed to be orchestrated by none other than felon-at-large, Sirius Black.  Current census records of the prisoners could not be obtained from the Ministry; however, attacks by alleged Death Eaters are markedly on the rise.

"I doubt Sirius Black was involved, Harry."  Hermione noted quietly, noticing Harry's hands tighten around the paper's edges.  He always worried about his godfather's safety and a renewed manhunt would mean that Harry saw, or heard from, Sirius even less than he did now.  Harry felt the stirrings of frustrated anger that even more atrocities were being pinned on an innocent man's head.  Ron's face went rather white at the article.  Harry folded the Prophet neatly and returned it to Hermione before silently abandoning the table.  Ron and Hermione glanced at each other worriedly, frozen momentarily, before rushing after him.

~*~

"I can't believe that old bat gave us homework already!"  Ron complained, stuffing his parchment and books into his bag as they rushed down the stairs towards the dungeons after Divination.  Harry didn't say anything, he just kept moving.  They made it, breathing heavily, and with only seconds to spare as they joined the mill of Gryffindors and Slytherins filing through the heavy door of the Potions classroom.

The Slytherins looked particularly smug as everyone trudged into class and quickly took their seats.  The Gryffindors watching in apprehension as a sleek black cat watched them from his perch on the front corner of the desk.  Professor Myfanwy swept gracefully into the room moments later, arms wrapped around a large dark leather tome and glanced at her cat.  "Orion, down."  She commanded and the black cat regarded her with mismatched eyes before stretching languidly and leaping lightly off the desk.  Professor Myfanwy set her book on a large brass stand and turned to her new class, summoning the roll and a black swan-feather quill to her hand.  

The dungeon where Snape usually held Potions was still colder than the main castle, however, the clear jars of pickled animals favored by Snape had been replaced by neatly labeled, opaque jars and vials.  Several clusters of dried or drying herbs hung near the ceiling, and even the tall windows near the ceiling were now brightly polished and clean.

Professor Myfanwy finished up the roll, waving the roll of parchment into a desk draw and waved her class into silence. Like Snape and Professor McGonagall, Myfanwy had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort.  However, the students quickly discovered that Professor Myfanwy had little of McGonagall's severity and none of Snape's bad temper.

"As this is Professor Snape's class, I'll be following his lesson plans, but I thought we'd have a bit of fun for this first lesson."  She snapped her potions tome closed before stepping around her cauldron and perching on the desk.  Enchanting a piece of chalk with her wand to begin writing down ingredients, she began explaining their task.  "Now, does anyone know what you get when you combine Elaphoglossum and Caprosma to an infusion of belladonna?"  Predictably, Hermione's hand shot into the air while everyone else looked clueless. Professor Myfanwy nodded and called on her.

"A Vox Refractorum or Mirror Speech Potion, Professor."  Hermione answered triumphantly.  Professor Myfanwy smiled.

"Very good, Miss Granger!   Very Good!  One point to Gryffindor.  Now," She picked a pair of jars full of dried leaves up.  "Belladonna, you should all know by now, is nightshade, but can anyone tell me what the common names of Caprosma and Elaphoglossum are?"

Again, Hermione's hand raised, and so, surprisingly, did Neville's!  "Mr. Longbottom?"

"Mirror plant and Tongue fern, Professor."  Neville responded shyly, apparently emboldened by her almost easy-going manner.  She smiled approvingly.

"I see Professor Sprout was right, Mr. Longbottom, you do know your plants!  Excellent, and another point to Gryffindor!  Now, who knows the effects of this potion?" Professor Myfanwy glanced about the class but only Hermione's hand raised.  "Mr. Malfoy?  Any idea?"

Malfoy looked shocked, obviously not expecting the question.  Snape never questioned him.

"How should I know?"  He snapped.  "It's the first day!"

Mercury quick, Professor Myfanwy pale eyes frosted causing Malfoy to shrink back slightly.

"I am not Professor Snape, Mr. Malfoy."  She cautioned quietly.  "And I would advise you not to display your father's arrogance in my classroom."

Malfoy puffed up indignantly.  "My father . . ."

"Would not dare cross me."  Professor Myfanwy finished for him.  "I'm not Hagrid.  Nor am I Professor Lupin.  And for future reference, a simple 'I don't know, Professor' will suffice."

Looking sulky and chastised, Malfoy slouched down in his seat but didn't comment audibly. For her part, Professor Myfanwy returned easily to lecturing - dropping the cold, aristocratic air - and began detailing their assignment's brewing process before instructing them to pair up and begin.  Orion reappeared from the back of the room and paced soundlessly between the cauldrons.

Professor Myfanwy returned to her desk and began making notations out of several books into a smaller one, telling the class to feel free to ask if they had any questions or problems with their assignment.

After several silent minutes, Malfoy – still peevish over being scolded in a Potions class - roused himself out of his sulk enough to begin taunting Harry and his friends (though markedly quieter) over the article that had appeared that morning in the _Daily Prophet_.  He'd noticed Harry leave after reading the front page.

"Still think you're on the right side, Potter?"  He sneered.  "The Ministry seems to be going to pieces, doesn't it?  And that's just over a rumor."

"Sod off, Malfoy, unless you want a detention.  Snape's not here and your father doesn't have Professor Myfanwy on his payroll."  Harry snapped.

"At least I have a family, Potter."  Malfoy snarled back mockingly, kicking at the inquisitive black cat beside his cauldron.  "And it's not just some escaped criminal."

Harry's stool clattered to the flagstones as he leapt up, almost lunging for Malfoy before a cool voice stopped him.  "Problem boys?"  Professor Myfanwy appeared between them, her wand held idly at her side and her sharp eyes analyzing them both.

"I'm sorry, Professor, but Malfoy . . ." Professor Myfanwy held up a hand, silencing Harry.

"I heard what he said, Mr. Potter.  And I am quite aware that it's not accurate."

Malfoy glared balefully at Professor Myfanwy.  She returned the glare with cool equanimity.  "I will not repeat myself again."  She warned.  "Donotpick fights in my class.  You will both call a truce while you reside in my classroom and leave your competitions for the Quidditch field."

Harry nodded softly in agreement, but Malfoy snarled sourly under his breath.

Rather than removing House points, Professor Myfanwy simply summoned a small goblet from her desk.  "Thank you for volunteering, Mr. Malfoy."  She dipped a portion of the bubbling potion from his cauldron into it and placed it in front of the stunned Malfoy.  "You may be the first to try it."  The class stared at the steaming goblet in shock.  

Malfoy stared at the goblet and the glowing blue mist pouring out of it.  He swallowed uncomfortably before taking a deep breath and downing the potion in one gulp.  "And now you may all see the effects of a common Vox Refractorum potion."  Professor Myfanwy commented mildly as the tips of Malfoy's ears began to glow.  "As you can see, it works almost immediately."

"I t'nod leef yna tnereffid!"  Malfoy protested glaring at the other students whose sniggers were rapidly changing into laughter.  "Tahw deneppah ot ym eciov?  Pots gnihgual!  Rosseforp!"

To her credit, Professor Myfanwy didn't even smile as she responded.  "You should all see why it's called Mirror Speech by now.  Don't worry, Mister Malfoy, the dose I gave you will wear off before your next lesson.  Though," She added as an afterthought.  "The glow tends to linger.  Tonight's homework."  Professor Myfanwy turned and swept back to the front of the room as her enchanted chalk began listing assignments on the board.  "One role of parchment on a practical application of today's potion and a copy of the recipe for the antidote, due day after tomorrow.  Also read and outline chapter nineteen for our next lesson."

*

"Not so bad, is she?"  Hermione noted smugly, stuffing her books back into her bag as they made their way out of the dungeons to the Great Hall.

"Did you see the look on Malfoy's face?"  Ron crowed, relishing the memory and ignoring Hermione.  "Bet he's never been told off like that before!  And that potion was priceless!"

"Doesn't go light on the homework though, does she?"  Harry commented, looking at the list of homework he'd copied down.  "First day too."

Hermione glared briefly at Ron before answering.  "Well we're preparing for our O.W.L.'s aren't we?  All the teachers will give us more work than normal.  In fact, we should start studying extra for them right now."

"Hermione, don't say that!"  Ron groaned in protest.  "O.W.L.'s are months away!"

Harry rolled his eyes, smiling slightly at their familiar mock-quarrel and silently followed his best friends through the corridors.

~*~*~*~


	8. The First Full Moon

~*~*~*~

Chapter 7 – The First Full Moon

Harry became quite used to seeing Professor Myfanwy in her dungeon lair over the next month. Therefore, it surprised him to walk into Defense Against the Dark Arts and see Professor Myfanwy seated behind the Professor's desk at the front of the room.  Harry wondered momentarily if anything had happened to Professor Lupin before realizing that the full moon had risen the night before and Professor Lupin was most likely recuperating from his transformation into a werewolf.

"Is Professor Lupin all right?"  Neville asked worriedly, also noticing the switch in Professors.

"He's fine." Professor Myfanwy responded, looking up and smiled reassuringly.  "Just rather tired.  Professor Lupin should be up and about tomorrow.  You've got a good start in creatures and curses now and we've moved along into magical artifacts.  The Headmaster also thought it would be beneficial for me to cover various talents and marks for distinguishing Dark Wizards, so we'll be covering Parseltongue as well as beginning light and dark amulets today." Harry swallowed uncomfortably and fidgeted slightly as Professor Myfanwy announced the topic of Parseltongue.   Harry, a Parselmouth himself, worried that Myfanwy would use him as an example but, as she began her lecture, he realized she didn't seem inclined to.

"Having the gift of Parseltongue is often considered the mark of a Dark Wizard.  Lord Voldemort, for example," Professor Myfanwy nodded, ignoring, or not noticing, the wince or soft gasps from most of the students.  "However, that's not always the case.  Parseltongue is merely a rare gift, nothing more.  Merlin himself had an assistant that was a Parselmouth and it was his study of this assistant that led him to create the Amulet of Achidnae."

Harry's attention shot forward and he saw Hermione quickly catch Ron's attention as well.  Hermione began flipping rapidly through her text, hand shooting into the air.  Professor Myfanwy stopped and called on her.

"Professor, the text says that the Amulet of Achidnae is a legend; not based in fact," Hermione noted, hoping, along with Harry and Ron that Professor Myfanwy would shed more light on the subject.

Professor Myfanwy nodded.  "I know, Hermione, and you've been misinformed.  I've taken it up with the author of your text a few times, but she refuses to change it without definite proof.  That proof would be the Amulet itself."  Professor Myfanwy set her text aside and moved to perch on the corner of her desk.  "There is so much romanticism surrounding the wizard Merlin that some wonder if he even really existed."

"Did he?" Harry asked quietly, watching Professor Myfanwy's reaction closely.  Professor Myfanwy considered her answer for a moment before responding.

"The question isn't whether Merlin existed, Harry.  We know he did.  The question is more how much of his story is fable and how much is lore?  I've seen the Amulet of Achidnae because the descendants of Merlin kept it in Gringotts before Voldemort's first rise to power.  During and after those dark times many things were secreted away for safekeeping and any mention of some objects, such as the Amulet of Achidnae, is very rare.  However, if you'll turn to page fifteen of your text you'll see a listing of the most common light and dark amulets in use today."

Harry felt a trickle of triumph accompanied by a breath of dread flow through him as the lesson returned back to its course.  Professor Myfanwy had _seen_ the Amulet of Achidnae!  It really existed and if it did so did the Heir of Merlin.  And Voldemort wanted them both.

~*~

Harry waited patiently for the rest of the class to file out and motioned Hermione and Ron to leave him behind before he approached Professor Myfanwy with his question.  Actually he thought of several questions to as her, but didn't yet trust the new teacher enough to tell her the reasons behind some of them and she would surely ask.  "Professor?" Harry asked tentatively.  "Would it be all right to visit Professor Lupin later?"

"Of course, Harry," she answered, looking up from gathering her books.  "I'm sure Moony would enjoy some company.  Since he's not up to eating in the Great Hall tonight, I was about to take dinner to him.  Would you like to join me?"

Harry quickly accepted the invitation.  "Then you'll need a guide into the Staff Wing."  Professor Myfanwy instructed.  "Take your things back to Gryffindor Tower then meet me in the Entrance Hall."

~*~

Ron and Hermione still hadn't returned to the Common Room when Harry climbed through the Portal to stow his school things before dinner.  Harry assumed they'd gone off to the library to study together before dinner.  It was something they'd fallen into the habit of doing this term and occasionally Harry joined them, but more often he used the time to write to Sirius or visit Hagrid.

"Have you seen Hermione?"  Ginny asked as Harry was climbing back out the Portrait hole.

"No, I haven't seen Hermione since class, but you could try the library.  She's probably there with Ron."

Ginny looked vexed for a moment, but quickly covered her feelings and cocked her head in curiosity.  "Going to visit Hagrid?"

Harry shook his head.  "Professor Lupin wasn't in class today.  I got permission to visit him tonight."

"Full moon."  Ginny nodded slowly.  "Is he in the Hospital Wing then?"

"No.  Professor Myfanwy said she'd take me to see him in the Staff Wing."

Ginny's eyes became troubled at the mention of Myfanwy.  Harry stilled, confused at her reaction.  "What's wrong, Gin?" he asked.

"It's nothing."  Ginny shook her head, suddenly turning away.  Harry reached out and gently grabbed her arm before she escaped.

"It's something to do with Myfanwy?" he asked quietly, lowering his voice so the rest of Gryffindor wouldn't hear them.  "Is there something wrong?"

"I don't know exactly."  Ginny replied, suddenly thoughtful.  "And it's not precisely wrong.  She just seems . . . haunted.  Unfinished almost."  Ginny snapped out of her thoughts and laughed, though Harry thought it sounded a trifle forced.  "I'm getting as paranoid as Mad-Eye Moody!" she pushed him lightly toward the exit.  "Sorry Harry.  Go have fun.  And don't tell the twins you're going into the Staff Wing," she grinned mischievously.  "They've been dying to get in there for years."

"If Ron and Hermione . . ." Harry began but Ginny cut him off gently with another soft push.

"I'll tell them where you've gone when they get back." she assured him.  Harry nodded, smiling once at Ginny before starting for the Entrance Hall.

~*~*~*~


	9. Dinner with a Werewolf

Note for part of this: In book 3 Professor Lupin mentions that there wasn't a cure back when he was bitten. That seemed to imply that there is one now. This is partially inspired by that.

* * *

Chapter Eight: Dinner with the Werewolf

* * *

Professor Myfanwy hadn't arrived yet by the time Harry made his way down to the Entrance Hall. However, he saw Hagrid waiting with a wicker basket full of dubious items and called out a hello. Hagrid waved back, his deep voice booming through the Hall, and Harry accepted a cheerful blow to the back by way of greeting.

"What's the basket for, Hagrid?" Harry asked, sincerely hoping Hagrid didn't intend to give the house-elves cooking lessons.

"Ah, Rowan asked me ter bring a few things from Hogsmeade for one o' her Potions," Hagrid explained, swinging the basket slightly. An indignant triple hiss sounded from within its confines and Hagrid steadied the basket. "And a new pet."

"Rowan?" Harry asked, a bit confused.

"Professor Myfanwy," Hagrid explained. "Though she'd be offended if I called her that. Right smart she is, but hates titles. Had enough of them, I'd wager."

"You know her then?" Harry asked.

"Yep, went ter Hogwarts with yer parents, she did. I've known her ever since she was the skinny little girl that used ter sneak down to the Forest at night ter talk ter the unicorns. "Hagrid grinned and almost continued when he was cut off by Professor Myfanwy's entrance.

"Hagrid! Don't tell him that!" Professor Myfanwy mock-scolded, appearing silently in the doorway with a pair of attentive house-elves in tow. She turned to Harry, manner prim, but with a small mischievous smile. "It wasn't always at night."

Suddenly one of the house-elves caught sight of Harry and began hopping excitedly, his large ears and mismatched socks flopping madly. "Harry Potter, sir! It is being Harry Potter!" Dobby shouted happily at him. Harry laughed quietly, waving a hello to the house-elf and feeling somewhat relieved that the large golden tray each of the house-elves held saved him from an enthusiastic, rib-crunching hug.

"How are you, Dobby?" Harry asked politely. Dobby beamed at him.

"Dobby is doing fine, Sir. Very fine indeed!" the house-elf squeaked hyperactively.

"I wondered if Dobby knew you," Professor Myfanwy said, smiling slightly at the house-elf's antics. "He volunteered immediately to help me carry dinner up from the kitchens when I mentioned you."

"It is an honor, Professor Myfanwy, miss, to help Harry Potter!" Dobby squeaked determinedly.

Harry flushed slightly, covering it by stammering, "Is Winky still in the kitchens too?"

"Oh, Winky is, Harry Potter, sir." Dobby's smile faltered slightly. "But Winky is still having trouble remembering we is free," he confided sadly before brightening again. "Though Professor Myfanwy tells Dobby that Winky will 'come around'. And Professor Myfanwy would know, Harry Potter."

Harry blinked. "Why's that, Dobby?"

"I've just got a way with magical creatures," Professor Myfanwy answered before Dobby could and shrugged. "Thank you, Hagrid." She accepted the basket from the half-giant. The basket swung slightly as it was passed, prompting another fit of irritated hissing. Harry noticed he could make out words this time and three separate voices. "What's this?" Myfanwy asked curiously peering into the basket to investigate the strange quiet hissing that still came from the basket.

"Found him wanderin' abou' the pumpkin patch and thought yeh might like him," Hagrid explained as Myfanwy reached inside the basket and pulled out a rough sack that undulated oddly. "Not sure what he was doin' this far north, though." She quickly set the basket on the floor and opened the bag, whispering quietly to the occupant. Harry couldn't make out her words but they seemed to work as the mystery creature slithered out, a smooth rope of blue, green and copper scales, and coiled itself around Myfanwy's arm. The three heads uncoiled, rising up and regarding all three of the humans at the same time. The copper one staring at Harry cocked its head and hissed quietly, "Hello."

"Hi," Harry replied, vaguely aware that it came out in a hiss. Professor Myfanwy then called the three heads' attention and, while not hissing in Parseltongue, or in fact saying anything at all, quickly managed to coax the creature onto her shoulder.

"What is that?" Harry asked, still staring at the snake.

"It's a Runespoor, Harry," Hagrid answered.

"They normally prefer more tropical environments, though. I'm not sure how it got so lost," Professor Myfanwy commented. "Most unusual. Shall we go, Harry?" she asked finally settling her odd snake more comfortably and picking up the basket. Harry agreed and they waved goodbye to Hagrid before setting off down a long corridor that wound back behind the Great Hall. The house-elves followed them silently, carrying the trays. Harry smiled, thinking that Hermione would be muttering something along the lines of "slave labor!" under her breath.

After a few minutes Harry noticed that their path took them close to Gryffindor Tower. Professor Myfanwy halted at an unfamiliar, nondescript door and pulled out her wand to unlock it. The door opened up into Professor Myfanwy's office and Harry wondered if they would travel by fireplace into the Staff Wing.

"Remus is violently allergic to some of the things in here," Professor Myfanwy explained, walking in and setting the basket carefully under a table. "I'd rather not make him feel worse than he already does." Orion hopped down from his perch on the mantle and padded over to sniff at it and glare balefully at the Runespoor still curled contentedly around Myfanwy's shoulders. Harry stepped into the cozy office, noting, with some surprise that a very large patchwork beanbag chair sprawled close to the fire along with more prosaic seats like a pair of squashy armchairs.

"What are you working on?" Harry asked, pointing to the large table covered in various paraphernalia and backed by a large chalkboard covered in what looked to be arithmancical equations that dominated one side of the room.

"Wolfsbane potion," she responded, pulling the Runespoor off her neck and coiling it securely in a large glass tank. "That should do him until later." She nodded and stepped back to the table, scooting the basket further under it and carefully filling a waiting goblet with steaming potion. Myfanwy quickly cast cooling and sealing charms on the goblet before picking up a small notepad and looking back up at Harry.

He stared at the smoking goblet in her hand, recognizing it and feeling relieved that Professor Lupin was getting the Potion and that Snape wasn't the one behind the cauldron any more. Professor Snape despised Professor Lupin as much as he did Harry himself and possibly Sirius Black, but Professor Myfanwy seemed to like both of them.

"It takes all this to brew it?" Harry goggled at the complicated array of tubes and devices.

"Oh no. I can brew it in a single cauldron," Myfanwy laughed. "It takes this much to improve it. This is the product of over thirteen years of research and if I can just get it right those years will be well worth it." She beckoned him over and held up a smoking beaker filled with a glowing silver-green liquid. "When I'm finished this potion will let a werewolf control his change and hopefully extend it past the time of the full moon to become an Animagus instead of a monster. This is only for advanced cases, of course, I've already worked out a cure for the earliest stages. Unfortunately, it only works on newly bitten victims. That doesn't help Moony, but someday . . ." Harry nodded and began to understand why Professor Lupin sometimes looked at Professor Myfanwy the way he did.

"Come on then. We've just got to take this up to Remus." She picked up her cloak. Harry followed her out the door and up to the stairs toward the Staff Wing.

After several silent minutes of walking, Professor Myfanwy halted, drawing up to a nondescript, narrow, section of wall between two ornate suits of armor.

"It's a blank wall," Harry stated, confused, hardly realizing that his eyes kept attempting to slide off to either side rather than examine the wall.

"Actually it's a door. It's just pretending," Professor Myfanwy said, pulling her wand from within her robes and tapping the wall. "_Cave canem_." The wall between the two suits of armor split and opened for them, revealing a long spiral staircase. Harry and Myfanwy mounted the steps and shortly found themselves on a landing before a heavy oak door marked "Remus J. Lupin".

Professor Myfanwy knocked briefly before opening the door and letting herself and Harry inside. Remus Lupin sat at his desk, reading and looking rather pale and tired, but relaxed. He smiled broadly as he saw her and got up from the chair he was in, putting down his book. Professor Myfanwy handed him the still smoking goblet.

"I hate that password, Moony," she told him crisply. Then her face broke into a smile. "And you have company along with dinner." She stepped slightly aside, allowing Lupin to see Harry standing just behind.

"Harry!"

"Hello, Professor," Harry grinned, stepping forward to shake the older Marauder's hand. Remus reluctantly released Harry's hand to accept the smoking goblet from Myfanwy.

"All of it, Remus," Professor Myfanwy reminded him. "And you should drink that before the moon comes up," she warned. "I'm really not in the mood to chase you through the Forest tonight."

Lupin chuckled at her teasing and sniffed at the potion before taking a mouthful. He grimaced. "Couldn't you have done something about the taste, Rowan?"

She swatted at him playfully. "Sugar ruins it. Quit complaining. I'm working on it." She waited patiently as he drained more of the goblet. "I made more if you feel like seconds. It's in my office."

"Seconds?" he wrinkled his nose in distaste. Harry and Rowan laughed. "I'm just glad you pared the dose down, Rowan," Lupin grunted as he swallowed the final contents of the goblet and made a face. "Three is definitely easier than seven."

"I'm just sorry you have to take it at all," Professor Myfanwy said quietly. She shook herself and lifted the goblet. "I'll need you to tell me how this batch is working," she said, moving smoothly to the door. "But later. I'll be off now and let you two enjoy yourselves. Don't tire yourself out too much," she admonished Lupin sternly. "You might get sick again and Madam Pomfrey would harvest my blood."

"I won't, Rowan," Lupin assured her, rolling his eyes good-naturedly and watching until she disappeared back out the oak door. The two house-elves had also vanished, leaving the golden trays and two place settings on the table behind them. Lupin gestured for Harry to take the other place as he himself sat down to eat.

"Why is Sirius so afraid of Professor Myfanwy?" Harry asked, helping himself to a warm roll. "She seems nice."

"Too many good memories soured by bad ones, I'd imagine," Lupin replied thoughtfully. "Rowan attended Hogwarts a year behind us. And, yes, she's very nice. I think Sirius is afraid of reopening old wounds." Lupin took a long drought from his goblet of pumpkin juice to clear his mouth.

"Have you seen Snuffles lately?" Harry asked curiously. Professor Lupin smiled and set his goblet down.

"Call him Sirius in here, Harry. And yes, last night in fact."

"He's close? In Hogsmeade?" Harry asked eagerly.

"No, not in Hogsmeade, but close. I can't tell you much more than that," Lupin apologized. Harry cocked his head curiously.

"Last night was the full moon."

Professor Lupin raised an eyebrow, grinning. "And? So tell me, how are your classes coming?"

"Potions class is better," Harry admitted. "I'm not really looking forward to Snape coming back. And I'm really glad he's not making your potion anymore." Harry said the last bit quickly, his face betraying his deep hatred of the absent Potions Master. Lupin laughed.

"Professor Snape's not evil, Harry. And he's an excellent Potions Master. Though I am grateful that Rowan doesn't intentionally make the taste worse," Lupin noted wryly. "What about your other classes? I hear Hagrid hasn't toned down the creatures this year."

Harry grinned, and happily related stories of Hagrid's latest classes. Harry honestly expected a Chimera any day now. So far Hagrid had brought in four baby griffins for each class of fifth-years to raise. Several of the Slytherins and a few Hufflepuffs had nearly gotten trampled when one escaped and rampaged through greenhouse number four. "They aren't exactly tame yet," Harry noted wryly. Lupin chuckled.

"Apparently not. How are Ron and Hermione?" Professor Lupin asked. "I haven't seen them much lately."

"They're fine. At least I think so." Harry paused for a moment then shook his head. "I think something's going on between those two. I'd almost say they like each other! Ron's suddenly become really interested in studying for his O.W.L.s. and I probably spend more time with Ginny than with Ron and Hermione some days!"

"Hm." Lupin listened quietly as Harry began to ramble off onto the subject of Ginny Weasley, Ron and Hermione, Ginny, Sirius, and then back to Ginny, and hid a knowing grin. Harry, he realized, didn't quite notice his slight preoccupation with the red-haired girl yet but Remus made a mental note to talk to Sirius about his godfatherly duties. He'd heard this speech before from James. Harry was growing up very fast.


	10. The Order of the Phoenix

Chapter 9 - The Order of the Phoenix

* * *

I apologize in advance here, everyone. I'll switch to Sirius's point of view occasionally from here on out. I could do it all from Harry's, but you'd miss a few side-plot things that happen when he's not around. I'll try very hard not to confuse anyone. And all right, yes, I enjoy watching Snape and Sirius bicker.

Dark storm clouds gathered over Hogwarts on the dawn of Halloween. The student body largely ignored the gloom as they happily chattered through breakfast, anticipating a day of freedom combined with a holiday, and a long-awaited trip to the nearby village of Hogsmeade.

Everyone jumped as the doors of the Great Hall crashed open, admitting the cloaked form of Severus Snape. The tables hushed as Professor Snape stalked up the Hall and straight to Dumbledore's chair. He leaned over the staff table, whispering his news quietly, while all the other teachers crowded close. After a moment Dumbledore nodded and stood, waving Snape and the other teachers to follow him to his office. Professor Myfanwy glanced from Snape to the open doors of the Hall and froze. She recovered quickly and stepped up to Dumbledore, shaking her head and gesturing at the curious students.

Professor Lupin stared curiously at her, taking in her startled eyes and pale face. Then he relaxed with understanding and nodded to Professor Dumbledore, subtly glaring at Snape, who looked faintly amused. Myfanwy shot Lupin a grateful look before turning back to address the curious gaze of the students. "News of the war just arrived, everyone," she announced, while the rest of the staff slipped out the door. "Calm down and finish your breakfast. You'll all know it soon enough."

Her blunt announcement worked. The students turned back to their plates with only murmurs of speculation and no tremors of panic. Harry, however, exchanged concerned looks with Ron and Hermione. News of the war meant news of Voldemort.

Sirius Black restlessly paced the length of Dumbledore's office, waiting for the arrival of the others, or news of any kind. After the initial summons from Dumbledore the night before, things had been far too quiet. By all rights Snape should have returned just after midday yesterday with the latest news from his contacts in the Death Eaters. Sirius had waited impatiently in Dumbledore's office since then, becoming a dog the instant anyone approached, or roaming the almost deserted halls as Padfoot.

Though common knowledge to the inner circle of the Order of the Phoenix, Sirius's innocence wasn't a situation all of them were comfortable with. Consequently Sirius took care to avoid as many of the staff and students as possible while inside the castle. Even Harry and Remus. Avoidance of Rowan Myfanwy went without saying. He still wasn't sure of her opinion towards him and wasn't sure he wanted to know. He still enjoyed eating occasionally and she currently had far too much access to the house-elves and potion stores.

Just then the door opened and Dumbledore and several other professors, including Snape, entered the room. Snape's dark eyes raked over the small company and he frowned as he noticed the missing members.

"Where is Myfanwy? This concerns her as well," he demanded.

"Watching over the students, Severus," Dumbledore explained calmly, settling himself comfortably behind his desk. "Since Voldemort's return we do not leave them without staff supervision."

"And we're so glad you could finally join us, Snape," Sirius snapped, irritable after the long wait. "After all, we wouldn't want to interrupt your quality time with your old friends with things like schedules."

"And you'd know about time, wouldn't you Black? How long was it that you spent rotting in Azkaban? Have you and Myfanwy had a falling out? I notice most of your old friends are dead or wish you were, Black." Sirius glared, but ignored him though he heard something sounding suspiciously like "greasy-haired slime-ball" from Lupin. Even Dumbledore's mouth thinned slightly. "The Dark Lord does not trust me as he once did for good reason. I am not free to move about completely as I wish," Snape bit out darkly. "And lest you get complacent and think you're being unconditionally accepted, Black, let me remind you that not even Rowan Myfanwy dared to be in the same room with you. She, obviously, sees you for what you really are."

Sirius lunged forward and grabbed Snape by the collar. "No one would miss you that much, you know," he growled dangerously.

"Sirius! Severus!" Dumbledore's voice cracked sharply between the two. "Let us concentrate on the present, if you will, and leave private vendettas out for the moment!"

Lupin quickly stepped up behind Sirius and laid a warning hand on his shoulder; McGonagall did the same with Snape while favoring him with a sternly disapproving look. Snape merely glared disdainfully at the two Marauders before nodding to Dumbledore.

"Of course, Headmaster. Without Miss . . ." Snape stopped and corrected himself with a sneer. "Professor Myfanwy's expertise in this area I cannot give you the entire details of the process, however, the Dark Lord is apparently devoting some of his attention away from Potter and attempting to replicate the Amulet of Achidnae. Though with only limited success thus far." Lupin grasped the arms of his chair tightly and both Sirius and Flitwick paled slightly. Even Dumbledore and McGonagall looked troubled.

"You are sure of this, Severus?" Dumbledore asked at length. Snape nodded.

"Yes, Headmaster. And I am to assume that you have taken precautions with the artifact itself?"

"The Amulet itself is both secret and safe,"

Dumbledore assured him. "No harm can come to it or its master within these walls."

At that moment the door whispered open, admitting a slender black cat with a letter in its mouth. Orion leaped lightly onto Dumbledore's desk, deposited his burden then hopped down. He padded silently over to Sirius and swished his tail once before leaping up and appropriating his lap. Sirius looked at the faeracat awkwardly for a moment before tentatively petting him. Orion began purring almost immediately, turning his bi-colored gaze from Sirius to Dumbledore. Dumbledore regarded the cat with amusement before picking up the letter and carefully browsing through its message. He kept his face carefully controlled as he looked up, meeting the curious gazes around him.

"A letter. From Wormtail and addressed to Rowan," he told them, ignoring the sudden murderous fury in Sirius and Lupin's faces. "This is not the first time he's contacted her, nor do I believe it will be the last."

"What does he think he's doing?" Sirius demanded. Lupin looked disgusted but fairly calm; he'd seen the letters before.

"Garnering support," Snape answered condescendingly. "Wormtail's position with the Dark Lord isn't secure. Myfanwy's the only one on our side that would possibly listen to him."

"Listen? Headmaster, she can't possibly be considering forgiving that spineless monster! Even Rowan isn't that forgiving!" Lupin protested.

"Oh, maybe not forgive, Remus," Sirius glowered. "But trust enough to get herself killed? Possibly."

"You may be very thankful of that forgiving trait in the future, Sirius," Dumbledore reprimanded mildly. Sirius lowered his eyes guiltily. Dumbledore stood. "Well, Severus, if that is all we'll let you return to your rooms for some rest."

"Thank you, Headmaster, but I need to speak with Myfanwy first," Snape responded wearily, the rigors of the past few months finally catching up to him. "I've yet to discover how much damage her coddling of my students has done."

Even after the feast, Harry, Ron, Hermione and (surprisingly) Ginny lingered, hoping for more information from Dumbledore or the other Professors. When they finally began garnering strange looks from Professor Myfanwy they began making their way back to the common room. Midway Harry stopped and listened for a moment as Snape's voice caught his ear, while the other three continued walking. Distantly he heard Snape speaking softly to Professor Myfanwy. Myfanwy, he realized, hadn't attended the meeting! Which meant that Snape would be recapping it for her!

Harry quickly grabbed Ron as soon as they reached the portrait hole and yanked him up the stairs to their dormitory. "What? Harry, what are you doing?"

"The Order's had a meeting tonight," Harry began rooting through his trunk. "I want to know what they talked about." Ron looked at him like he was daft. He'd heard, of course, about Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix. Most of his family was involved in one way or the other.

"Harry! Even with the Invisibility Cloak, we can't eavesdrop on Dumbledore!"

"No," Harry agreed, pulling out the shimmery Invisibility Cloak and the Marauders' Map. "But we can on Myfanwy."

"No we can't!" Ron protested immediately. Harry glanced at Ron in shock.

"Why not?"

"Hermione," Ron answered, folding his arms. "She's a prefect, remember? She'd never let us."

"Then we don't tell her," Harry shrugged, activating the Map and draping the cloak over them both.


	11. Animal Crackers

Chapter 10 – Animal Crackers

~*~*~*~

The two boys crept cautiously through the moonlit halls of Hogwarts towards Professor Myfanwy's office.  Inside the Map reported Severus Snape and Rowan Myfanwy.  The dots labeled for Filch and Mrs. Norris skulked along the corridors near the Astronomy Tower and Peeves was busily pulling up carpet on a stairwell three floors down.  "We can't hear them!"  Ron protested quietly, pointing at the closed door of Myfanwy's office where they heard only faint voice‑sounds.  Harry nodded agreement and he pulled out his wand, noting that they should have brought Hermione along to charm the door. 

The two froze as a soft scraping inside the office drew their attention and halted the voices.  The door opened slightly allowing the supple dark form of Orion to slither out.  Harry and Ron dived for the door before it latched and caught it, managing to slip inside without being noticed by the two Professors.  The boys moved carefully and silently, wedging themselves back between Myfanwy's worktable and storage cabinet.

Professor Myfanwy apologized for the interruption and took a seat in the large chair behind her desk, facing Snape.  She suddenly seemed to note the rather haggard appearance of her companion and instantly pulled out her wand.

"What are you doing?"  Snape demanded irritably.

"I've eaten and you have not."  She explained calmly, quickly summoning a plate of sandwiches and a goblet of chilled pumpkin juice.  She glanced at him critically.  "And it doesn't appear that you've been taking very good care of yourself.  It won't do for you to collapse in that armchair out of sheer stupidity.  So eat."

Snape grunted something condescending that sounded like "mediwizards!" but obediently served himself and began eating.

"Are you sure of your discovery, Severus?"  Myfanwy asked, pocketing her wand and thoughtfully picking up a slender sugar quill from her desk.

"Yes, Rowan."  He snapped back.  "The Dark Lord is attempting to summon an army of magical creature and, I might add, with some limited success."

"But he hasn't succeeded yet and that's something."  She sighed, shaking her head and standing fluidly.  "We can't allow Voldemort that sort of control."  She noted, pacing across the short distance between her desk and the fireplace.  "We're having a hard enough time fighting the Ministry and the Death Eaters."  Beside him, Harry felt Ron wince at the mention of Voldemort.  Harry's eyes widened.  Professor Myfanwy, he realized knew about the Amulet of Achidnae earlier.  How much more did she and or even Snape know?  "How much progress has been made?"

"You are supposed to be the expert on the Dark Arts here, Rowan."  Snape returned mockingly.

Myfanwy shot him a chilly glare.  "You, Severus, exceed me in all the practical aspects of evil."

Amazingly, a slight flush of color stained Snape's sallow face momentarily at her barb.  "I meant that your knowledge of arcane objects and curses gives you better insight on whether the Dark Lord will succeed in duplicating the effects of the Amulet of Achidnae."

Professor Myfanwy didn't say anything for several long minutes.  "I don't fully understand how it works."  She admitted.  "As it turned out Merlin didn't hold the answer to curing lycanthropy and I abandoned study of those 'arcane objects' as you put it years ago."

"You're wasting time and brilliance on creatures that do not deserve it."  Snape growled sourly.

"Thank you for the compliment.  However, Remus Lupin is one of my closest and oldest friends."  Rowan said, quiet warning creeping into her voice.

"And a monster that nearly killed me, in case you have forgotten!"  Snape snapped back.  Professor Myfanwy sighed, shaking her head in resignation.

"Just because you were foolish enough to take the bait . . ." She began.  Snape cut her off irritably, obviously not willing to let it lie.

"And you, Rowan Myfanwy, were so besotted by Sirius Black that you couldn't . . . " There was a sharp crack as Rowan slapped Snape across the face.  Her face was white and she was shaking with fury, her fists were clenched at her sides.

"Never speak that way around me, Severus Snape.  Ever!  I paid dearly for that schoolgirl crush!"

Harry quickly clapped a hand over Ron's mouth, muffling the startled cheer that threatened to escape while the two exchanged looks of amazement.  Had Myfanwy really _slapped_ Snape?  Harry found himself wishing he'd brought Colin Creevey's camera along.  The look on Snape's pointy face was priceless!

Even Rune - Professor Myfanwy's newly christened snake - glared balefully at the Potions Master.  Harry smiled grimly as he caught the topic of the subdued hissing coming from the three heads in their glass house.  They seemed to be discussing the best way to deal with the situation.  Head One wanted to bite the odious human while Head Three intended to forgive and forget after all, it argued, it was just a Human couldn't really mean that.  And Head One returned that he most certainly did!  Head Two was attempting to agree with both and couldn't make up its mind.  Runespoors, Harry decided, must not get much done; they seemed to be of three minds over everything.

Snape opened his mouth once to say something before apparently deciding against it and striding from the room in an injured huff.  Professor Myfanwy growled something uncomplimentary under her breath before grabbing her cloak and stalking out as well.

Harry pulled the invisibility cloak off him and Ron and slumped into a nearby armchair.  Ron quickly claimed the other.  Ron suddenly straightened a bit as a thought about the conversation struck him.

"Hey Harry?  Has Snuffles ever mentioned that Myfanwy used to fancy him?"  He asked curiously, finding the idea very odd indeed.  Harry thought about it and shook his head.

"He's never really mentioned her at all, but she knows Lupin, doesn't she? And according to Snuffles 'used to fancy him' describes most of the female population of England."  Harry pointed out.

The slight scrape of the door, startled Harry and Ron and they turned to see the wide lamp-like yellow eyes of Mrs. Norris staring at them accusingly.  With a lightning-quick scrabble, the skeletal cat disappeared out the door.

Harry and Ron surged to their feet as Mrs. Norris disappeared.  Mrs. Norris blazing off meant Filch wasn't long in arriving.  Harry immediately tossed the invisibility cloak around their shoulders and they rushed out of Professor Myfanwy's office.

They turned a corner, heading for Gryffindor Tower and ran headlong into another pair of wandering students.  Harry reached out instinctively to stop their fall and grabbed a fistful of black robes.

"Hermione!"  Ron exclaimed, whipping off the invisibility cloak and scrambling to his feet.  He leaned over to help Hermione back to her feet and then Harry noticed whose robes he had a hold of.

Ginny reached up, removed Harry's fist from the front of her robes and quickly smoothed them out, almost hiding the blush that crept stealthily over her cheeks.  "What are you two doing here?"  Harry demanded quietly, watching nervously for any sign or sound of Filch, Snape or Myfanwy.

"Looking for you!"  Ginny hissed back while Hermione answered,

"Following Ginny!"

Harry rolled his eyes and quickly shoved the invisibility cloak into Hermione's hands.  "Hermione, Filch is going to be here any second.  And if you get caught you'll be in a lot more trouble than the rest of us.  Get back to Gryffindor Tower!"

Hermione started to protest but Ron cut her off, casting a worried glance behind him.  "Harry's right.  Let's get out of here before someone catches us!"

"Too late!"  A sickeningly familiar voice cackled close by.

~*~*~*~


	12. Narrow Escapes

Chapter 11 – Narrow Escapes

~*~*~*~

"Students out of bed this late at night?"  Peeves leered gleefully, startling the foursome with his sudden appearance.  "Should tell Filch, I really should.  It's not safe for you to be out after dark in these dangerous times."

"No, Peeves please don't!"  Hermione begged, edging closer to Ron.  She cast an apologetic look toward Harry and received an almost imperceptible nod.

"Oh, but it's my school duty, Miss Perfect Prefect!"  Peeves giggled madly, drawing a deep breath.  Harry quickly raised his wand.

"_Waddiwasi_!"

"_Speculum Phasmatis_!"  Harry and Ginny's voices rang out at the same time and . . . nothing happened!  Then the silvery shape of the Bloody Baron appeared, glaring balefully at Peeves.  Peeves and Harry both yelped in surprise.  The Slytherin Ghost raised an accusing hand and Peeves started groveling.

Hermione and Ron vanished as she tossed the Cloak over them and Ginny wasted no time grabbing Harry's hand and shooting off around the corner.  "That's not going to hold him long!"  She noted urgently.

Harry's eyes boggled slightly.  "That was a spell?  Where'd you learn it?"

"Professor Lupin."  She grinned, pulling up short as the staircase under their feet started swinging to a new placement.  Harry checked the Map and glanced quickly over to Ginny.  "Peeves is still up there but Filch is coming.  We'd better go."  He jumped off as the stair settled and held out a hand for Ginny.

"Gryffindor is that way!"  Ginny protested, pointing behind them.  Harry shook his head.

"But so are Ron and Hermione."  He called back over his shoulder, pulling Ginny behind a tapestry and down a secret corridor.  "We need to give them time to get back without leading Filch straight to them."

"Oh, right."  Ginny blushed slightly.  She glanced curiously at the Map in Harry's hand.  "What's that?"

Harry cast a sideways look at her wondering what how much to tell her.  "A Map of the school.  Your brothers gave it to me."

"You actually trust something Fred and George gave you?"  Ginny asked disapprovingly, regarding the parchment with skepticism.  Harry flushed slightly in embarrassment.

"They didn't write it."  Harry assured her.  "It's safe enough."

Ginny still looked like she didn't fully trust his assessment, but let it slide.  "Where are we?"  She asked instead.

"Pretty close to the Staff Wing."  Harry replied, recognizing his surroundings more than reading the Map.  They continued down the corridor until familiar voices drifted down the torch-lit hall, stilling them.  "It's Lupin and Hagrid!"  Harry identified in a whisper.  Ginny grabbed Harry's robe and pulled him into an unlocked classroom.    

"That is the absolute last time I let Sirius talk me into one of his drinking games."  Lupin slurred, weaving dangerously.

"Steady on there, mate.  Easy does it."  Hagrid cautioned, gingerly guiding the tipsy werewolf down the hall.

"I should never go near the Hogshead with him involved."  Lupin continued, nearly walking straight into a ribbon-bedecked suit of armor.  Luckily the armor saw him coming and crashed noisily out of the way.

Lupin blinked owlishly at the noise before he grinned and jauntily saluted the armor before continuing his wobbly way down the corridor.

Ginny and Harry slipped out of cover and crept down the Charms corridor, suppressing their laughter as they went.  Most of the torches along the hall had long since burned out, casting pools of darkness across the stones.  Harry lit his wand and studied the map for a moment and managed to trip over the lurking form of Orion.  The black cat glared haughtily at the pair, lightly flicking his tail in contempt before rubbing up against Ginny's legs.  Ginny bent down and quickly stroked his sleek coat.  Apparently, the cat had no desire to rat them at the moment.

"We're too close to the Staff Wing."  Ginny pointed out.  "We're going to get caught if we don't hurry."

"Right."  Harry agreed.  He glanced quickly at the Marauder's map and pointed down a side hall.  "This way looks clear."

They made it less than fifty steps before the next obstacle happened by.  This time Harry grabbed Ginny and pulled her behind a particularly hideous statue of a hump-backed wizard as Snape swept around the corner sporting a charmed icepack across one side of his cheek and an almost visible cloud of anger.  "Inhuman brat!"  he snarled to himself.  "I can not believe Dumbledore hired that demoness!  As though the Werewolf and Black weren't bad enough!"

Ginny looked at Harry in surprise wondering if Snape was merely slandering Myfanwy or if they truly had a new dark creature teaching them.  Harry shrugged and shook his head before turning back to watch Snape's retreating form.

Suddenly Ginny coughed, the dusty dry smell of the statue stone, tickling her throat.  Snape halted, turning slightly to follow the sound.  Ginny and Harry didn't even dare breath as Snape retraced his steps back to the statue and they drew further into the shadows.  Snape's sallow hand rested lightly on the hump of the statue as he leaned around to peer into the shadows.  Harry began considering exactly how long a detention he'd receive for simply leaping out and bowling Snape over, giving Ginny time to escape down the hall when a misty voice suddenly drifted down the corridor and Snape snatched his hand back.  The Potions Master cast a panicked look down the corridor before stalking off again in a decided hurry.  It was about then Harry realized he'd drawn Ginny protectively into his arms and quickly released her, blushing furiously.

"Myfanwy's part demon?"  He stammered, attempting to break the uncomfortable silence then coughing and flushing more as his voice came out unnaturally high.  Ginny giggled slightly, visibly fighting down the color of her own face.

"Myfanwy's part veela," she noted thoughtfully.  "But that's hardly demonic."

"Maybe he's just mad because she slapped him."  Harry shrugged, pulling Ginny out of hiding and beginning their trek back to Gryffindor.

"She _what_?"  Ginny gasped before dissolving into a fit of quiet giggles.  "Oh that must have been priceless!  What happened?"

"He insulted Professor Lupin."  Harry replied, feeling a wave of dark satisfaction at Professor Myfanwy's reaction.  He had never completely forgiven Snape for causing Lupin's resignation two years previous.  Or for his version of events that very nearly got Sirius' kissed by the Dementors.

"She slapped him for that?"  Ginny asked incredulously.  "Snape better have more of those cooling charms handy.  He's in for a time of it this year."

~*~*~*~


	13. Caught and Rescued

Chapter 12 - Caught and Rescued

~*~*~*~

"Why is this place like Kings Cross in the middle of the night?"  Harry panted as they ducked into an abandoned classroom two levels down from Gryffindor Tower after a desperate sprint to escape Mrs. Norris.  They'd found the vile cat lying in wait for them as they passed Professor Myfanwy's office.

Ginny nodded, still too out of breath to speak.

"I think it's clear."  Harry whispered after a few moments, creeping out of the room and pulling Ginny out after him.  

They both jumped a foot as a sharp female cry tore the air from behind them.  Ginny shrieked and jumped into Harry's arms as he turned to face this latest threat.  Sybil Trelawney stared, horror-struck, at the pair, a dramatic hand draped across her forehead, causing her thick glasses to slide down her nose.

"The Potters!"  She cried.  "Just as Orb predicted!  You have returned to the realm of the physical!"

"Professor!  It's just me!"  Harry hissed frantically at her, hoping her wails wouldn't bring the entire staff wing down on them.  Somehow the old bat had managed to mistake him and Ginny for the long dead James and Lily Potter.  "Uh, Professor Trelawney?"

Trelawney blinked owlishly at the two, visibly calming herself and smiled mistily at Harry and Ginny.  "Ah, my children!  A vision!  The mark of your parents, my boy, is upon you both!"  She nodded and Harry began to seriously wonder what the Divination Professor had been added to her incense clouds.

"I shall consult the Cards and divine the true intent of cruel Destiny in this matter."  Trelawney mystically assured them.  "Perhaps the unhappy fate of your parents may yet be avoided."  Trelawney sounded as though avoiding that unhappy fate would be a great disappointment.  Harry caught Ginny trying valiantly to contain a sudden fit of giggles.

"Perhaps, my children, you may assist me."  Trelawney regarded the two shrewdly, like a great glittering preying mantis.  "I search for Professor Snape.  The stars are aligned most unfavorably for him at this time and he must be warned."

"He went that way, Professor."  Ginny answered, masterfully composing her voice and face and pointing down the hall behind them.  Harry, for his part, was fighting not to double over laughing.  Trelawney smiled thinly at them before sweeping away in a jangle of jewelry and beads.

"I think I almost pity Snape."  Ginny commented thoughtfully, a small smile tugging at her lips.  "Um, Harry?"  Ginny looked up at him with a now permanent blush staining her cheeks.  "Could you let me go?  I really think we need to get moving."

Ginny found herself propelled several inches across the hall as Harry released her and stepped back, firmly keeping his eyes on the floor and praying to whatever being or deity might be listening that the night ended soon.  Ginny Weasley was doing confusing things to his emotions.  

Harry managed to stammer and apology before bolting up the stairs ahead of her.  Harry was so intent on escaping the confusing presence of Ginny that didn't quite see the skeletal cat that leaped out to block his path until it was far too late.  Mrs. Norris managed to avoid harm by moving quickly and slashing Harry's ankle as he swerved, sending him off balance and pin wheeling into the air.  Harry grunted as his shoulder slammed into the floor accompanied by the indignant hiss of Mrs. Norris.  Before he'd quite managed to right himself, Ginny appeared at his side, helping him up while simultaneously pulling him down the hall.  She's raced up the stairs behind him and managed to shut Mrs. Norris in a broom cupboard, giving them a few moments to escape.

They sprinted for the next set of stair, the final ones between them and Gryffindor Tower, but only managed a short distance before they heard Filch's footsteps on the stairs.  Harry and Ginny dodged through a door, ending up in the boys' loo.  Harry stifled a groan as he realized where they were.  Ginny said nothing and barely acknowledged their surroundings and wondered vaguely why he was being punished.

Ginny, thankfully, took one look about them then ignored the furnishings.  Apparently having six older brothers desensitized her to things like this.  She looked far more nervous about the approaching footsteps of Mr. Filch.  "Come my Sweet," Filch said, his voice slightly muffled by the wooden door.  "They aren't far."

All along the corridor Ginny and Harry could hear Filch opening the doors one by one while farther down a second set of footsteps arrived, much more softly than Filch.  Harry shut his eyes.  Filch would open the door any second.  The handle rattled, the door slid open a crack and a light voice spoke from down the hall.

"Mr. Filch?"  The door stopped.  Filch released the handle and an inky blur flickered by the crack in the door, shooing Mrs. Norris's prying lamp-like eyes away.

"Professor Myfanwy?"  Filch answered, sounding surprised at the sudden intrusion.  Harry chanced peeking through the narrow opening and saw Myfanwy standing just beyond Filch, watching him curiously.  Orion sat neatly at her feet, glaring steadily at Mrs. Norris.  Professor Myfanwy's pale eyes flickered to the partly open door before returning to Filch without betraying any emotion; though Harry almost believed the slightest of smiles touched her lips before disappearing.

"I apologize for the interruption, Mr. Filch.  I'm just stepping out to the greenhouses for some potion ingredients I forgot to gather earlier.  Is everything all right?"

"There are students out of bed, Professor."  Filch declared.  "And up to some despicable mischief, no doubt."

"I've not seen anyone."  Professor Myfanwy noted with a slight frown.  "Are you sure?"

"They locked Mrs. Norris in that cupboard, Professor!"  Filch pointed at the offending door, still standing open a ways down the hall.  "Who else would do such a thing?"

"Peeves, perhaps?"  Professor Myfanwy suggested.  "He went whizzing by me just a few moments ago downstairs."  She said, guiding the irascible Caretaker away from the hidden pair.  Orion growled warningly at Mrs. Norris, his sleek ebony fur fluffing slightly when she didn't immediately follow Filch.

"Peeves!"  Filch's nostrils flared in anger.  "I'll have that meddlesome poltergeist out of this castle yet!"

"He was heading for the dungeons."  Myfanwy supplied helpfully.  Filch quickly thanked her before quickly disappearing in search of Peeves.  A very slight smile appeared on Professor Myfanwy's lips as she looked down at her cat.  "Rather like old times, isn't it Orion?"  The cat looked up at her with his mismatched eyes and mewled softly.  She reached down and scratched his back fondly.  "Let's just leave this night to its ghosts, then."  Myfanwy suggested before turning and disappearing back down the stairs.

~*~

Ginny carefully pushed the door open the rest of the way and scanned both ends of the corridor for any more surprises.  Seeing none, she and Harry bolted the rest of the way to Gryffindor Tower, stumbling through the portrait hole slightly breathless.

"What took you two so long?"  Ron demanded, stomping up to the pair.  "What happened?"

Harry and Ginny looked at each other and dissolved into laughter.  "You don't want to know, Ron."  Harry assured him, passing by and taking the invisibility cloak from Ron on the way up to their dormitory

Harry slipped silently into the fifth-year dormitory, careful not to wake up the other three boys that slumbered there.  He quickly stowed the invisibility cloak in his trunk and reached into his robes to pull out the Map.

Harry bit back a yelp as his hand encountered fabric but no parchment.  The Marauder's Map was gone!  Harry swore under his breath, utilizing several of Ron's more colorful vocabulary as he realized he must have dropped it when they escaped from Mrs. Norris!  Grabbing the invisibility cloak, Harry started back out the door, intending to go back out after the Map.

Ron nearly barreled into Harry as he skidded into the room seconds later.  "McGonagall's in the common room!"  Ron hissed, pushing Harry further into the room.  "Filch must have told her there were student's roaming the halls."

Or Myfanwy, or Peeves, or Trelawney or Snape.  Harry added silently.  "Ron, I lost the Map!"  Harry whispered back.  "What if one of the Professors finds it?"

Ron's eyes widened in horror.  "Did you clear it first?"  He demanded.  Harry shook his head.  There hadn't been time.  "This is bad, Harry.  Filch would love to figure out how the Map works!"

"I know."  Harry said miserably.  Worst of all, he thought, Sirius and Professor Lupin had trusted him with it.  Harry thought for a moment then shrugged.  "We'll have to get it back.  Raid Filch's office."  Ron shuddered, thinking back to what else Filch's office contained.  Manacles, and thumbscrews and chains, which he kept well oiled and constantly begged Dumbledore to let him use on the students.  On the other hand, allowing Filch to keep the Marauder's Map was unthinkable.  Ron sighed.

"We'd better not say anything to Hermione."

~*~*~*~


	14. Strange Meetings

Chapter 14 – Strange Meetings

~*~*~*~

The next morning, Harry and Ron kept casting furtive glances toward the Staff Table.  They planned to raid Filch's office that night and retrieve the Marauder's Map and from the way Snape was glaring at them it wouldn't be easy.  Professor Lupin had left that morning, confiding to Harry, Hermione and Ron that he would be staying with Sirius nearby.  Though they would see him on the week of each full moon because Professor Myfanwy could not travel beyond the school boundaries and Lupin still needed the Wolfsbane potion.

The morning owls arrived in a flurry of feathers and parchment as they dropped packages and letters into the waiting hands of the students.  Harry and Ron jumped slightly as a brown school owl dropped a tightly wound sheet of parchment between them before flapping off toward the owlery.  Ron unrolled it curiously and blinked in surprise before quickly stuffing it into his bag and yanking Harry out of the Great Hall.

"Ron, what's got into you?"  Harry demanded as Ron released him and fished the roll of old parchment out of his bag.  Harry grabbed the parchment from Ron and pulled out his wand, but was interrupted by Hermione's breathless arrival.

"Where did you two skive off to?" she asked, then caught sight of the parchment.  "What's going on here?"

"Harry lost the Map last night."  Ron explained; eyes still intent on the blank parchment in Harry's hands.  "He dropped it when he and Ginny escaped from Filch."

"And a school owl just returned it?"  Hermione blinked at the odd behavior.  Her eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion.  "Is that really the Map?"

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good," Harry whispered, tapping the parchment with his wand.  Immediately a light elegant script scrolled across the page.

_Mr. Filch knows enough of the secret passages.  Stop helping him._

The short note faded, quickly replaced by the customary introduction of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs.

~*~

The weeks slipped by.  Snape reclaimed his dungeon and his torment of the Gryffindors while Myfanwy continued their lessons in Defense Against the Dark Arts.  Quidditch season began, leaving Harry very little time to worry more over the Amulet, Merlin, or even the odd, suspicious behavior of Ron and Hermione.

During the absence of Professor Snape Harry and Ron had managed to lose only a handful of house points – usually due to Malfoy - and received no detentions.  The first week after Snape returned they'd lost fifty house points and received three separate detentions.  For the first detention they endured reorganizing the entire Potions classroom back to Snape's specifications.  The second was helping Professor Sinistra polish and realign the telescopes in the Astronomy Tower.  

Realigning the telescopes to Sinistra's standards took hours and began after nightfall.  Both boys were bone-weary by the time they escaped back to Gryffindor Tower.  Harry checked his four-poster carefully before climbing in.  They had met an almost irritable Professor Myfanwy in the hall earlier who was searching for her escaped runespoor.  Rune's escapes were quickly becoming legendary throughout the school.  It had already caused two shrieking stampedes in the Gryffindor girls' dormitory.

Finding no snake, three-headed or otherwise, in his sheets, Harry climbed in, said goodnight to Ron and drifted off immediately.

It seemed only minutes later Harry felt a tug on his sleeve and something wet and very cold pressed against his arm.  He opened his blurry eyes and bit back a yelp at the large black shape hovering next to his bed.  Harry's hands flew up, groping for his glasses and his wand.  Sirius appeared instantly in place of the dog.  "Harry, it's me!" he hissed, handing the boy his glasses to prove it.  "You're becoming as paranoid as Mad-Eye Moody!"  Harry pulled his glasses on; snapping the world and the tall, lean form of Sirius Black into focus.  "Dumbledore wants to see you."

"What?  Now?"  Harry asked incredulously,

Sirius shrugged in apology.  "Apparently some things need starlight.  Look at it this way.  Tomorrow's a Saturday.  You can have a bit of a lie in."

"No I can't."  Harry grunted, climbing out of bed and shivering slightly.  "Alicia will roust us out at dawn to practice."

Sirius laughed softly.  "Just don't fall off your broom like James used to after a full moon." he advised.  "Don't forget your wand."

"Now who's paranoid?"  Harry teased, pulling his robes on.  Sirius grinned roguishly at him.

"Not yet I'm not."  He countered.  "And trust me, you don't want to be.  I've suffered the last six months around that nutter."  Harry wondered briefly what Sirius was working on that included Mad-Eye Moody but didn't ask as they made their way down to the common room.

~*~

"Blast it all, Rune, come out!"  A soft voice hissed in frustration as Harry and Sirius entered the common room.  Professor Myfanwy crouched near one of the couches, apparently attempting to coax her reluctant runespoor out from beneath it.  Harry wondered if Professor Myfanwy had a cold; she was speaking oddly, though understandably.  He felt Sirius stiffen beside him.

Harry watched carefully, worried that Professor Myfanwy would be terrified by Sirius's presence, before stepping forward, wand out and ready to use _Expelliarmus _or stun the unsuspecting Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.  Her reaction was not what he expected.  She looked shocked and confused but not the least bit afraid and there was recognition in her eyes.  Looking at his godfather, Harry saw the same expression mirrored in his face.

"Sirius?  Sirius Black?" she asked tentatively, shock clearing her voice.

Sirius seemed to draw inside himself, and a slight flicker of pain crossed his face.  He nodded stiffly.  "Hello, Rowan."

She pursed her lips in irritation and her pale eyes flashed briefly.  "You don't need to act like that, Sirius.  I've already spoken to Moony.  He told me what happened."  Harry had the distinct impression that something was going on he didn't understand.

"Um, Professor Myfanwy?  Sirius?  Do you two know each other?"

The two adults jumped as though just noticing him.  Sirius chuckled.  "You could say that Harry.  Rowan, or rather, Professor Myfanwy, and I were friends a long time ago."

Myfanwy's lips lifted slightly in a grimly amused smile.   "Friends, Sirius?  We were hardly 'friends'."

Sirius blushed and stammered slightly before glaring at her in annoyance.  "Can we argue about it later, Rowan?" he asked.  She chuckled darkly but nodded and stepped aside.  

"I'll just retrieve my snake and leave then, shall I?"  She knelt and whispered something Harry didn't catch.  Amazingly, the recalcitrant runespoor slithered out and obediently coiled around her arm.

Myfanwy walked smoothly toward the portrait hole, almost disappearing before Sirius lunged forward and stopped himself just short of touching her.  "I mean it Rowan.  We need to talk."

"Perhaps."   She acknowledged coldly before exiting.  Harry watched Sirius stare dumbly into space for a full minute before interrupting.  Sirius shook himself slightly and nodded, silently leading the way out of the portrait hole and toward Dumbledore's office.

Harry shot curious side-glances at Sirius the entire way.  What Harry wanted to do to was ask his godfather what had just happened.  However, from the closed, controlled look on Sirius' face, he wasn't sure he dared.  For a few minutes earlier Harry had glimpsed the man he saw in his parents wedding photo.  Now the haunted look of Azkaban had returned and it worried Harry.

~*~*~*~


	15. The Seer of CaerMyrddin

Chapter 14 – The Seer of CaerMyrddin

~*~*~*~

Sirius left Harry at the base of the golden stair leading to Dumbledore's office, taking up a guard position at the base of the tower as Padfoot while Harry continued on up.  The office door swung open for him, revealing an empty office.  Fawkes trilled a soft hello to Harry before replacing his head under his wing and returning to sleep.  

Harry yawned, wishing he could join the phoenix, and looked about the Headmaster's office.  The portraits of previous Headmasters and Headmistresses dozed sleepily in their frames, barely acknowledging the boy as he stepped up to look at the fascinating things behind the glass of a large cabinet.

Now, sitting next to the Pensieve, was an ancient, tattered and travel-stained book.  Curious, Harry carefully picked it up and opened its crackling parchment pages.  Spidery script flowed across each page.  Harry turned to the very end and noticed yet more entries appearing.  Obviously the book had been charmed to fit massive amounts of writing into its slender volume.  He finally rested on one page and began to read.

_And that same night, the night of the New Year, was Arthur born, and all as soon as born delivered at a secret postern-gate to me, to be held far apart __Until his hour should come; because the lords of that fierce day were as the lords of this, wild beasts, and surely would have torn the child piecemeal among them, had they known; for each but sought to rule for his own self and hand, and many hated Uther for the sake Of Gorlos. _

Harry blinked.  Arthur?  _King Arthur?  Before his mind had time to process this information the door to the study opened.  Harry whirled, almost dropping the diary, to face the smiling face of Professor Dumbledore._

"I'm sorry, Headmaster.  The cabinet was open and I . . ."

Dumbledore held up his hand.  "Curiosity is not a sin, Harry.  Though you should know better than most that some books are better left unread."  Dumbledore smiled and took a seat behind his desk.  "So, have you discovered the secret of that book you now hold?"

"No."  Harry admitted, studying the tattered volume more carefully.  "But it's a book about Merlin.  Where did it come from?"

"Many close friends have left important possessions in my care from time to time;" Dumbledore said.  "Especially during the previous reign of Voldemort.  Things they don't wish to entrust to the Goblins."

_Things like invisibility cloaks.  Harry thought, remembering Hagrid's comments before his first year:  __'Gringotts is the safest place ter keep anything . . . 'cept maybe Hogwarts.'_

Dumbledore smiled his merry eyes twinkling.  "This, Harry, is the personal diary of the wizard Merlin.  Quite a fascinating read, actually."

"You said that about 'The Subtle Life of the Ethiopian Earthworm', Professor."  A silvery voice laughed from the doorway.  Harry started slightly at the unfamiliar voice and turned as Dumbledore greeted the newcomer.  The dark-haired veela Harry remembered from the Leaky Cauldron entered, her silvery-black hair shimmering slightly in the candlelight.

"Ah, Morgaine."

"Good evening, Headmaster.  Hello again, Harry Potter."  She nodded cordially to both of them then looked behind her expectantly.  "Grandfather?"

"Right here, Morgaine."  A tall wizard entered the room, his impressive ebony beard sweeping almost to his knees and his deep blue eyes watching the room keenly from beneath heavy brows.  Despite the coal-black beard and hair of the wizard, Harry felt this wizard was at least as old as Dumbledore.  An odd sense of antiquity and patient wisdom surrounded him like a winter cloak.

"Good evening Albus, Mr. Potter."  The old wizard greeted them amiably in a deep tenor voice.  Fawkes woke up properly and glided to the old wizard's shoulder with a haunting trill.  "Hello to you as well, Fawkes."  He scratched the phoenix's crest affectionately as he turned  "Albus, is that magnificent creature downstairs Padfoot?"

"As a matter of fact, Merlin, it is."  Dumbledore agreed, gesturing the two guests into armchairs in front of his desk.

"Merlin?"  Harry blurted, green eyes wide.  The old wizard's dark eyes twinkled with amusement.

"Yes, Mr. Potter, Merlin Myfanwy.  I've aged quite well over the last 1500 years, wouldn't you say?"

Harry flushed and stammered an apology, realizing how utterly silly that sounded.  Even wizards didn't live for millennia.  Morgaine shot a daggered look at her grandfather, though her mouth twitched in suppressed laughter.  Merlin merely chuckled and assured Harry he'd taken no offense.  Then his keen eyes bore into Harry's face for a moment, as though noting something amiss.  "Are you all right, Harry?" Merlin asked.  "You seem out of sorts.  Distracted.  Have you had another dream of Voldemort?"

Harry blinked in surprise at the observations and hesitated before speaking.  He finally kept a close eye on Dumbledore for clues and chose his words very carefully.  "No dream, sir.  It's about Padfoot."

"Morgaine and her grandfather know about Sirius, Harry."  Dumbledore assured him.  "You may speak freely."  Harry relaxed visibly and quickly related the odd confrontation between his godfather and professor.

Morgaine's pretty face grew grave and concerned, clearly worried about her sister.  Dumbledore said nothing but Harry though he saw the briefest flash of irritation flicker across his merry blue eyes.  Merlin's face remained schooled and unreadable.

"Well, there's nothing to be done about it right now."  Morgaine finally sighed.  Merlin shook his head and rose, displacing Fawkes.

"Morgaine, begin the ritual without me."  He instructed, removing a palm-sized stone from his robes and placing it in her hand.  "I will return if I can."

"What ritual?"  Harry asked curiously, wondering why they needed him.

"A scrying."  Morgaine answered looking up from the stone into his eyes.  "This is a Seer Stone."  She held up the Stone, allowing Harry to see the ghostly runes reflected in its translucent depths.  "With your help we're hoping use it to spy on You-Know-Who's activities."

"What do I need to do?"  Harry regarded the veela-witch suspiciously.  He'd already had one bad experience with complicated rituals.  Morgaine's eyes flickered in understanding and she glanced at Dumbledore before returning her attention to Harry. 

"Harry, I won't force you, but I need you to touch the Stone.  Your link to Voldemort may be crucial to a clear vision."  Harry paled slightly, a phantom ache shooting through his arm where Wormtail had stabbed him to bring Voldemort back to life the year before.

"This is a gift that must be freely given or not at all."  Morgaine assured him.  "If you want extra time to think about it that's fine, but I would also remind you that time is not something we have a surplus of."

"Will this help us stop Voldemort?"  Harry asked, swallowing his fear.  Morgaine nodded mutely, still watching him.  Harry hesitated, considering how important better knowledge of the Death Eaters could be, before asking another question.  "Can Voldemort perform this spell too?" Morgaine shook her head.

"No.  The scrying I intend to do is very difficult - more difficult by far than, say, brewing a successful Wolfsbane potion or summoning a Patronus.  Voldemort doesn't have a seer to perform the ritual."  Morgaine said.  

"And you're a seer?"  Harry asked, a touch skeptically.  Morgaine smiled slightly at him.

"Yes, I'm a seer."

Dumbledore interrupted them gently as he studied his pocket watch.  "Morgaine, you're losing the starlight.  Harry, you must decide."

Harry thought for another moment before setting his face determinedly and nodding.

Morgaine removed a slender crystal vial from her robes and poured a measure of clear liquid over the Stone.  He held her hand out, the glistening water dropping like silver from her skin and the Stone.  "Touch the Stone, Harry."  She requested.  Harry glanced to Dumbledore nervously before hesitantly reaching out to lightly touch the Seer Stone.  

A red spark arced between Harry and the Stone, startling them both.  Morgaine frowned slightly at him.  "Are you carrying a charmed object?"

Harry shook his head; thinking over what he'd had time to put on: his shoes, glasses, bathrobe and . . .  Harry pulled the gold Egyptian amulet Bill Weasley had given him for his birthday out of his collar.  "Maybe this?"  He asked, pulling it over his head.  Harry placed the amulet on Dumbledore's desk and reached out for the Stone Morgaine held.

A slightly cool breeze whispered through the tower room, stirring the robes and hair of the two participants.  Morgaine breathed deeply and closed her eyes in calm concentration.  When she finally spoke, Harry could have sworn even the stars were listening.

_"Stone of the Master, newly awakened, you will obey my call."_  The Seer Stone under Harry's fingers stirred to life, a pale silvery glow quickening within its depths.  Harry started slightly, wondering at the feeling of living warmth he felt emanating from the stone.  It was comforting in an odd way, and very powerful.

_"Soul of the ally, willingly given, you will reveal your foe."_  Harry watched in fascination as the Seer Stone wreathed itself and their hands in glowing mist as Morgaine spoke the ritual.  Shadowy shapes flitted through the fog, teasing them with partial visions of cloaked figures and far off buildings.

_"Sight of the adversary, foolishly gifted, you will dispel the shroud."_  As the last echo of the words faded the mist around the stone shattered, falling toward the stone floor like prismatic diamonds.  The Seer Stone lay calm and almost dormant in Morgaine's hand.  A faint glow deep within the stone was the only indication of the new magic it now contained.

"What happens now?"  Harry asked, slightly breathless.

"I will return the Stone to the Pools of CaerMyrddin."  Morgaine answered, slipping it into a pocket of her robe.  "Then Grandfather and I will see how much information we can glean from your peculiar link with You-Know-Who."  The veela-witch turned to Dumbledore, looking slightly tired from the ritual.  "Now, Headmaster, if you don't mind, I shall go see if my sister has finished flinging the unbreakables."

~*~*~*~

The "Diary Entry" above comes from Tennyson's _Idles of the King._


	16. Old Wounds

Chapter 15 – Old Wounds

~*~*~*~

Late autumn sunlight bathed the grounds of Hogwarts as Harry, Ron and Hermione walked over the sloping lawns towards Hagrid's hut.  

Harry had told both his friends about his previous night's adventures earlier that morning, including his worry over his godfather.  Hermione, after frowning over Harry's description of Dumbledore trusting something as wooly and unreliable as a Seer, offered him a simple solution: ask Hagrid.  

The entire school seemed alive with the upcoming Christmas holiday; all the students anxious to go home and enjoy a few school free weeks.  Harry, of course, would remain at Hogwarts and Sirius promised to spend most of the holiday in the castle with him.  Without the lure of the Yule Ball to hold them, the vast majority of the students were returning home for the holiday, making it at least somewhat safe for Sirius to be in the castle and stay undetected.

Unfortunately Professor Myfanwy would also be staying, something that made Sirius extremely edgy and Harry was determined to find out why.  Hagrid, of course, knew both Professor Myfanwy and Sirius.  Hermione tactfully didn't mention that Hagrid also had a habit of revealing more than was prudent.  Ron had no such scruples and thought Hermione's idea brilliant.  Harry owled Hagrid immediately and received permission to visit.

~*~

When they knocked on the door of the gamekeeper's hut Hagrid beamed, ushering them inside and offering them all cups of tea and a plate of his rock cakes.  The tea they accepted, but politely refused the rock cakes, which really were hard as rocks.

"So – yeh wanted to ask me somethin'?" 

Harry nodded.  There was no point in beating around the bush.  "Is there something wrong between Professor Myfanwy and Sirius?"

"Oh I don' doubt it."  Hagrid nodded.  "Some hurts don' heal well at all, Harry."

"I know he and Professor Myfanwy were friends once."  Harry pressed hopefully, throwing a triumphant look at Ron and Hermione.

"Friends, eh?  Is _that what they told ya?"_

"Weren't they?"  Harry asked, puzzled.  "They seemed to know each other pretty well."

"Oh, they was friends alright, Harry."  Hagrid assured him.  "In fact, they was engaged."  Harry felt like a lightning bolt of shock tore its way through him at the revelation.  _Engaged?  He choked back an avalanche of questions, promising himself to bring them up with Sirius at the next opportunity, and asked Hagrid only the most obvious one._

"What happened?"

"She threw a cauldron at my head."  Sirius chuckled from the doorway.  Harry jumped and turned to see his godfather leaning casually against the closed door of Hagrid's cabin.

"Now, Sirius, I don't think Rowan meant to hit you with that cauldron."  Hagrid smiled, gesturing the new guest into an oversized chair.  "Tea?  Or something a mite stronger?"

"Tea, thanks.  And you're probably right, her aim is much better than that."  Sirius agreed.  Harry glanced over at Hermione and Ron to see them goggling at Sirius' casual appearance.

"What brings you out here, Sirius?"  Hagrid asked as he handed Sirius a mug of tea.  "An' in broad daylight?"

"Moody's having a bit of trouble with your new pets."  Harry perked up at this and exchanged worried looks with Hermione and Ron, wondering what new horror Hagrid had befriended.

"Ah, they're probably just cranky.  Don' like bein' cooped up an' all."  Hagrid set his own mug in the sink and went to gather up his huge moleskin coat.  "You see the kids back up to the castle, Sirius, an' I'll go see what's got into them."

"Sirius . . ." Hermione began.   Sirius grinned at her before transforming into Padfoot with a faint POP and nudging Hagrid's door open with his nose.

Hagrid and Fang disappeared into the Forest behind them as Padfoot led the way back to the castle.

~*~

"You two go on ahead.  I need to talk to Snuffles."  Harry told the other two as they reached the doors, while firmly planting a hand on Padfoot's shaggy head.  Ron and Hermione shot him looks that clearly said 'tell us everything later!' before saying goodbye and entering the castle.

Harry turned and started purposefully towards the darkness of the Forest.  Padfoot barked sharply at him and Harry turned.  

"I'm going into the Forest.  Follow if you want."  Padfoot growled warningly but Harry shook his head.  "I'm tired of everyone treating me like a child."  He said, crossing his arms stubbornly.  "I want . . . no I _need _to know what's happening."

~*~

Once under the cover of the trees and well out of sight of Hogwarts Padfoot plunged into the foliage beside the track they followed and led Harry deeper into the Forest.  After several minutes of forging through brush they emerged in a small clearing with a mossy cave on one side and several small boulders strewn about.  Padfoot carefully checked the clearing before he returned to his human form with a faint POP and settling himself of a convenient boulder.

Sirius wasn't talking and Harry realized he would have to make the first move.

"You still love her don't you?"

Sirius groaned and buried his face in his hands.  "This would certainly be much easier if I didn't."

"Have you told her?"  

Sirius spread his hands helplessly and smiled wryly.  "She's avoided me for months now.  I'm starting to think I'll need a net to catch the wind."  He sighed.  "Besides, the question isn't 'do I still love her'; it's 'do I have any right to'?"

~*~*~*~


	17. Don't Speak

Chapter 16 – Don't Speak

~*~*~*~

Another long silence descended.  Harry hesitated asking more.  He was curious, but also didn't want to hurt his godfather and Sirius' past and, apparently present, beloved was a painful subject.  He chose what he hoped would be a more neutral topic.

"Is Morgaine really a Seer?"  Harry asked.  "She doesn't act like Professor Trelawney at all and I thought . . ."

"No, she most definitely doesn't," Sirius chuckled slightly.  "But I'm sure you've noticed that most 'Divinators' are frauds.  I've only known one person that could consistently make accurate predictions with detail."

"Morgaine Myfanwy?"  Harry asked.

"Morgaine is very detailed and never wrong," Sirius confirmed with a nod.  "But it's in her blood; just like Rowan's powers are."

"Is her Grandfather a Seer too?"  Harry queried, remembering the oddly powerful presence of the dark-haired old man.

"Grandfather?"  Sirius frowned.  "You mean the elderly chap with Morgaine?  That couldn't be their grandfather.  Rowan's the oldest surviving member of the Clan."

"Are you sure?"  Harry asked.  Then he noticed the word 'surviving' and a cold chill ran down his back.  "Surviving?"

"Yes, Harry," Sirius nodded.  "There were only three Myfanwys left after Voldemort and his Death Eaters massacred the rest of the clan in my seventh year.  I remember it very well because," Sirius swallowed heavily before continuing grimly.  "Because it's one of the experiences I relive every time a dementor comes too close."

Harry shuddered - he'd found few things as terrifying as the dementor guards of Azkaban.  He also felt a lurch of sympathy for the Myfanwys as he realized that he probably couldn't only begin to fathom what that would be like.  He had lost his parents before he even knew them.  Professor Myfanwy had lost everyone she had loved and grown up with.  He wasn't sure which was worse.

Their conversation came to an abrupt halt and a very tense silence descended as Rowan Myfanwy herself emerged from the depths of the Forbidden Forest.  She started slightly, clearly not expecting to find them there, before nodding slightly in greeting to Harry and pointedly ignored Sirius.

"Your final detention is with me tonight, Mr. Potter.  I don't know if Professor McGonagall has had time to tell you," she said, pulling her heavy cloak closer about her shoulders to ward off the light autumn wind.  "You're to meet me in my office just before moonrise.  You'd better wear your cloak, and bring your Herbology things, please; we'll be outside for most of it."

"Outside?"  Harry asked fully conscious of the full moon that night and wondering what they would be doing.

"Several potion ingredients I use have to be gathered on the nights of the full moon," she explained, a small wry smile touching her lips.  "It's dull, tedious work.  Rather perfect for a detention."

"Is everything all right now back there?"  Sirius asked, carefully keeping his voice under control.

Harry glanced between the adults and very carefully backed away.

"Just a small disagreement between one of the Welsh and a Hebridean," she shrugged, studying a mossy branch with her eyes.  "It's under control now."

Sirius clenched his teeth and bit back a frustrated growl. He forcibly resisted the impulse to yell at her, shake her, or possibly kiss her senseless – anything to break that near flawless mask of indifference.  She wouldn't even bloody look at him!

Sirius felt ready to tear his hair out.  He hated feeling helpless and rage built up inside of him.  The bitter truth of the matter was that he had no relationship with Rowan anymore.   This girl had invaded his soul at sixteen but she still wasn't truly his and she couldn't be his because that bloody, spineless Rat haunted their lives!

Wormtail had destroyed everything: murdering the Potters, orphaning Harry, sending Sirius to Azkaban five days before his wedding.  And Sirius would be damned before he'd allow Wormtail to dictate any more of his life!  He took a deep, steadying breath then reached out and grabbed Rowan's arm.  She didn't speak, but trembled slightly under his hand, pale blue eyes tightly closed.

"You can't pretend I'm not here forever," Sirius pointed out, his voice coming out harsher than he'd intended.

"I think I've done a pretty good job so far," she muttered under her breath, almost to low for him to hear and still refused to meet his eyes.

"We do need to talk, Rowan."

"Later, Sirius," she hedged, finally breaking free.  "I really don't have time at the moment.  Moony," She swallowed. "Moony needs his potion soon."

Sirius felt an irrational surge of jealous fury toward his friend.  It felt completely unfair that Remus be allowed spend time with Rowan when he, Sirius, could not!  Or had she simply moved on, fooling Remus and Morgaine who both insisted she still loved him?

"Rowan . . ." he began, subconsciously moving forward.  Rowan shied away, the tense, proud line of her shoulders crumbling slightly.  She began seriously doubting her continued composure.

"Please, don't push this right now," she begged.

Sirius stepped back, firmly keeping his hands at his side and nodded.  "As you wish."  The ghost of a smile flitted across Rowan's lips.  Sirius raised an eyebrow.  "Later then?"

Rowan sighed in resignation and nodded, both dreading and anticipating the real confrontation that was yet to come.

~*~

"So does Professor Myfanwy still love Snuffles?"  Hermione asked curiously, remembering to use their code name for Sirius.  She kept her voice low, and the three of them huddled close together to avoid any accidental eavesdropping.  There were very few Gryffindors in the common room that evening, but they knew to be careful.  Only Ginny was really close enough to hear them and she was curled up nearby with a book.

"Yes, she does," Ginny stated quietly from her place on the outskirts of the small group.

"How would you know that, Ginny?" Ron demanded. "You've never even had a boyfriend.  Unless you count going to the Yule Ball with Neville."

Ginny closed her book with a snap and glared menacingly at her brother.  "No, Ron, I haven't, but a girl doesn't wait fourteen years for a boy because of a simple crush!"  Ginny stowed her book in her bag, swearing softly as she heard pages rip.  "I'm going to bed," she announced.  "Good luck with your detention, Harry.  See you in the morning, Hermione."

Harry glanced at the clock and followed Ginny toward the dormitory stairs.  His detention with Professor Myfanwy started in less than an hour.

~*~*~*~


	18. The Moon Rises

Chapter 17 – The Moon Rises

~*~*~*~

Harry walked slowly down the corridors of Hogwarts toward the Defense Against the Dark Arts office.  A few thoughts he'd kept to himself, not even discussing them with Ron or Hermione.  Rowan Myfanwy had been Sirius's fiancée and, in a more perfect world, would have been Harry's adopted mother.  The thought made Harry's head swim.

He stared at the tall door of Professor Myfanwy's office for several minutes before shaking himself and reaching for the knob.  Harry knocked briefly before opening the heavy door.  "Professor Myfanwy?"  Professor Myfanwy straightened from the table she was working over, a glass vial in her hand, and smiled at him.

"Hello, Harry.  Can I help you?"

Harry was staring around in fascination at the complex matrix of spiraling tubes and bubbling caldrons surrounding his teacher.  It was the third time he'd seen the office since Professor Myfanwy had occupied it, but the first time he'd had time to actually look around.  He was surprised at the eclectic collection it held.  

In addition to the complex array of tubes and cauldrons across and around the worktable, a large cabinet stood open to one side, displaying a fascinating array of objects and jars.  Unicorn horns lay glistening on one shelf next to neatly labeled jars of powdered hens teeth and odd looking devices Harry somewhat recognized as dark detectors.  

On the far wall, next to a large polished desk, was a smaller glass cabinet containing an array of trophies and medals.  A sleek Firebolt racing broom hung above the cabinet.  Harry realized that Malfoy was right this time; Professor Myfanwy had to be quite wealthy to afford a Firebolt.

"Harry?"  Professor Myfanwy's voice interrupted his thoughts gently.

"Oh!  Sorry Professor Myfanwy.  I'm here for my detention."  He told her.  

"Ah yes, your third since Halloween, right?"  She chuckled lightly.  "It's amazing that manage to loose nearly as many points and wind up in detention as often as your father did.  You don't purposely try to cause that much mayhem.  Kitchen raids and nocturnal wanderings not withstanding."  She added teasingly.  Harry flushed guiltily; remembering the eavesdropping he and Ron had done on Halloween.  The same night they'd lost the Map and had it mysteriously returned the next morning.  He assumed that Myfanwy had seen it and returned it to Professor Lupin or that Lupin had retrieved it from Filch somehow.  Then he remembered the written warning that had appeared on its surface wasn't Moony's writing.  Harry's eyes widened.

Professor Myfanwy raised an eyebrow at him.  "I know this castle and the grounds better than you'd imagine, Harry."  She noted.  "And, yes, I know how to work the Marauders' Map.  I watched them write it."

Harry stared at her, wondering if Professor Myfanwy could read minds like Dumbledore and even Snape sometimes appeared to do.

Her soft laugh interrupted him.  "No, I don't read minds.  You're just very easy to read.  Rather like your mother was."  She continued thoughtfully, checking the fluid level of the vial in her hand.  Dark red liquid clung to the sides of the slender tube, congealing in the air.  Myfanwy carefully poured the contents of the glass vial into a large cauldron and stirred the mixture three times.

Thick wisps of smoke began billowing from the cauldron and covering the floor of the office in a thin layer of mist.  Professor Myfanwy didn't seem to notice the developing weather system as she crossed the room to retrieve a large goblet from one of the storage cupboards.

Wolfsbane, Harry identified the smoking potion as his eyes began wandering about the eclectic collection of artifacts scattered about the room.  Harry glanced back at the small glass cabinet with the array of awards and noticed most them had a Golden Snitch imprinted on them.  He looked back at Professor Myfanwy.  "You play Quidditch?"

Myfanwy nodded distractedly as she poured the still smoking potion into the goblet.  "Not for several years, but I was Gryffindor's Seeker when I was your age."  She set the smoking goblet down and moved closer to point out a picture near the bottom of the case of a group of young witches and wizards in scarlet robes grinning and waving as they held a trophy above their heads.

The Gryffindor Quidditch team, Harry realized.  He recognized his father's messy black hair and glasses on one boy standing near a scrawny black-haired girl that could possibly be a very young Professor Myfanwy.

Nearby that picture was one that made Harry burst into laughter.  The four Marauders, soaking wet and covered in snow were hanging from the branches of a large tree while an equally wet Lily Evans and Rowan Myfanwy stood on either side laughing, ice salamanders and enchanted snowballs frolicking around them.  Occasionally a snowball would knock one of the boys out of the tree and he'd have to scramble for the boughs before a pack of salamanders froze him in place.

Professor Myfanwy followed his gaze and started chuckling.  That, she told him, was one of her favorite memories.  "When did this happen?"  Harry asked.  He had many pictures of his parents, but he had never seen this one.

"Long before you were born, Harry, and right outside, close to Hagrid's cabin."  She answered, eyes slightly distant in memory.  "Fifth year for me as I remember, so Lily and the boys were sixteen."

It was then that Harry noticed something.  There were no individual pictures of Sirius or Peter displayed.  Individual shots of Lupin, James and Lily - together and individually – and even baby pictures of Harry himself.  A few shots he recognized from the album Hagrid had given him first year.  There were no shots at all of Sirius or Peter except the single group photo.

"I took the ones of Peter down for obvious reasons."  Myfanwy commented quietly from behind him.

Harry nodded in acknowledgment and very carefully didn't bring up Sirius.  He hadn't met many people that really knew his parents and knew he would never really know them.  He didn't want to alienate any of their old friends, which were his only real link to them.

Professor Myfanwy pulled Harry's attention back to the present by scooping up the steaming goblet and instructing him to grab a pair of sacks from the bottom drawer of her largest cabinet.

After a few minutes walking they arrived at the entrance hall and found Professor Lupin waiting for them.  He smiled as he saw them and slowly got up from the chair he was in, putting down his book across the arm.  With the nearness of the full moon, Professor Lupin looked weak and sickly, though obviously the Wolfsbane Potion helped some, because he didn't look quite so awful as Harry remembered from their first meeting.  Professor Myfanwy handed him the smoking goblet and watched him carefully to see that he drank it.

"Sorry we're late.  Distracting yourself?"  She nodded at the book.  Lupin shrugged noncommittally and gagged down the noxious potion.

"Waiting for Padfoot," he answered, trying to work the taste out of his mouth, and set the goblet down on the seat of his chair for one of the house elves to collect later.  Professor Myfanwy smiled slightly.

"Marauders to the end, eh?"  She shook her head in helpless amusement.  "You two will never grow up will you?  Ah well, you're only human, I suppose."

Lupin's face fell, the teasing light in his eyes fading.  "I'm not technically human, Rowan."  He pointed out.  Rowan glared furiously at him.

"You sound like a Malfoy, Moony!  And you know it doesn't matter.  It never mattered to your real friends!"  Harry thought it sounded very much like something Sirius would say.  Her next words surprised him though.  "Besides, by that logic, everyone in my entire clan is a monster.  I don't see a large difference between demon blood and werewolf."

"You're a what!?"  Harry's jaw dropped, the outburst slipping through his mouth before he could call it back.

"I'm part demon, Harry."  Professor Myfanwy responded calmly, as though being sired by an ethereal, and most certainly Dark, creature were perfectly acceptable.  "Moony's being a git.  Grandfather was sired by an incubus demon which leaves one of the most powerful Wizarding families in existence with Dark-tainted blood!"

A slight scratching at the castle doors halted the brewing argument.  Lupin stepped over and opened the heavy doors, admitting the shaggy black form of Padfoot.  Harry moved forward to greet Padfoot, who responded with a happy bark at seeing him and throwing a significant look toward Rowan.  Harry gathered they had yet to have that talk and Sirius was growing impatient.  Rowan staunchly ignored him and turned to Lupin instead.

"The moon is rising.  You'd better go."  She swept quickly toward the open doors.  "Let's start, Mr. Potter.  There's a lot of harvesting to do."

~*~*~*~


	19. Fairy Rings and Old Tales

Chapter 18 – Fairy Rings and Old Tales

~*~*~*~

Professor Myfanwy didn't speak as she led him past the Herbology greenhouses to a largish patch of flowers on the very edge of the Forbidden Forest.  A ring of fairies surrounded the flowers, illuminating it with a dome of shifting light.   Professor Myfanwy stepped through the veil of fairies and pulled out a pocket watch from her cloak.  She turned back to Harry and waved him forward.  "They won't hurt you."  She assured him.  "Just step through."

"What are they doing here?"  Harry asked, covering his face with his sleeve and plunging through the cloud of light.

"Who, the fairies?  This patch is planted in one of their rings," she pointed out the circle of toadstools surrounding them.  Harry became edgy.  He'd read that fairy rings weren't safe for mortals.

"Professor, are you sure we should be here then?  If it's a fairy ring, I mean,"  Harry asked nervously.

"It's fine," she assured him.  "They'll ignore us as long as we don't interfere in the Dance."  Seeing his confusion, she explained.  "The moon will rise in about five minutes and the fairies always dance by the light of the full moon.  I've already asked permission since I need the flowers harvested from here at the same time.  They'll keep to the edges of the ring and we'll keep to the middle."  Professor Myfanwy leaned down and picked one of the dark blue flowers around them.  "This plant is aconite or wolfsbane.  The other ones you see are lupine, yarrow, and chamomile.  Your job is to pick every third flower stem of the aconite."  

Harry examined the small meadow critically.  All the flowers grew bunched together making the job tedious at best.  Professor Myfanwy smirked slightly.  "You didn't think I'd make the detention fun just because Professor Snape isn't exactly fair, did you?  And you'll need to be careful about which plants you pick.  The wrong one will make any potion I use these in ineffective," she shrugged and added, "or poisonous."

Harry gulped.

Professor Myfanwy pulled her small leather diary out of her robes and knelt down to make a few notes on the plants' growth.  Harry reached into the sack he'd brought and pulled out a pair of tiny scissors then reached for the first cluster of blue flowers.

The worst thing about tedious work was that it freed up ones mind and Harry found his mind wandering.  The light sound of lutes and pipes and a subtle humming filled this air as the full moon rose and the fairies around them began a complicated dance.  Harry sat back and watched for a moment in fascination.  The only other times he'd seen fairies was when they were used in the castle as decorations.  Those times they'd remained fluttering in place.  Now, though, they gyrated in the silvery light of the moon, creating sparkling shapes and patterns in the air around them.  Harry hadn't ever seen anything so beautifully magical.

"It makes you pity the Muggles, doesn't it?"  Professor Myfanwy asked.  He glanced back at his professor.  She still knelt amidst the flowers, her quill scratching notes in the small diary, and occasionally reaching up to tuck an errant strand of hair behind her ears.  "The Dance, I mean?" she continued, waving with one hand toward the glittering dome around them.  "Muggles don't usually see things like this.  If they do we wipe their memories."

"I've never met a Muggle that really wanted to," Harry admitted.  The only Muggles he really knew were the Dursleys and they'd be appalled to hear about him sitting in a fairy ring with a part-demon watching a fairy dance.

"You need to meet more normal Muggles, Harry," Professor Myfanwy chuckled.  "I've met Muggles that would give their right toe to enter Hogwarts."

"Dudley wouldn't," Harry shook his head, finding the concept difficult despite being friends with Hermione.  He'd always figure Hermione's excitement at being a witch was unusual; like her love affair with libraries.

"Dudley, if he's anything like I remember his mother, is a spoiled brat with no concern for others," Professor Myfanwy pointed out flatly, toying idly with her quill.

"You knew Aunt Petunia?"  Harry gaped.  Somehow he'd never put Professor Myfanwy knowing his parents together with her knowing his Aunt.

"Of course I knew her," Rowan waved the question off.  "I'm one of the 'weird things' your mother used to bring home!  Your mum couldn't stand the idea of an entire summer with only her sister to talk to."

Harry blinked, then smiled.  He'd suffered through a great many rants from relatives over the strangeness of his mother.  He supposed a part-demon wizarding socialite counted as 'weird'.  "You were friends with my mum too?"

Rowan laughed.  "I was more friends with your mum than with your father and his friends.  I didn't really meet the boys until my fifth year.  They were a year ahead of me and I'm sure they didn't even know I existed outside of Quidditch and the occasional rescue."

"Rescue?"  Harry asked, his detention all but forgotten in light of a story.  Professor Myfanwy didn't bother to remind him of it, her diary also lay forgotten in the flowers beside her.

"Lucius Malfoy saw it as a moral obligation and rare opportunity to throw off two teams at once.  Not only did the Gryffindors need their Seeker but also two of my brothers were Chasers on the Ravenclaw team!  Malfoy personally sent me to the Hospital Wing five times.  I suspect James put his friends and the team up to shadowing me before any Slytherin matches," she pursed her lips in affectionate annoyance at the memory.  Professor Myfanwy, apparently, didn't appreciate coddling.

"Why didn't someone stop Malfoy?"  Harry demanded, though privately, he could see the older Malfoy sabotaging Quidditch games to win the Cup every year.  Draco Malfoy would too if he thought he could get away with it.

"They looked like accidents," she shrugged.  "Lucius Malfoy and I still don't get on well.  I fully suspect him of telling Voldemort that my entire clan would be gathered the Easter they died and convincing the Dark Lord the Myfanwy Clan was a threat," she said darkly.  "We don't even know how they got through the wards.  The castle is set on an island in the center of a tarn.  Voldemort and fifty of his Death Eaters Apparated onto the grounds in the middle of the night and murdered everyone in their beds then sent up the Dark Mark and set fire to the forest before Disapparating," Professor Myfanwy raised an eyebrow at him.  Her eyes were very dark with remember pain.  "Are you starting to see why everyone is so terrified of Voldemort and his followers?"

Harry felt rather sick, but he'd seen too much Death Eater activity and Voldemort himself too often to disbelieve her.  He simply nodded.  "How many people were in your clan?"  He finally asked quietly.

"Two hundred and eight," she said sadly.  "Three of us are left.  I begged off going home for that holiday at the last second and stayed at Hogwarts.  Morgaine and Ger decided to stay too."

"Why did you stay?"

Professor Myfanwy blushed slightly.  "Because Sirius was in his seventh year and it was the last school holiday we'd have together," she admitted.

Harry hid a smile behind his hand and changed the subject.  Any further down this line of inquiry was a slippery slope.  Rowan and Sirius still hadn't worked out their differences and while hearing about the old Marauders was entertaining, he didn't want to accidentally lead his professor into the still tender subject of the current Sirius Black.

"Will this be used in the Wolfsbane Potion?" Harry asked.  

"Most of it," Professor Myfanwy nodded; eyes still intent on her book.  "Professor Snape wanted a bit of it too."

Harry lapsed back into silence, until another question struck him.  "Why do you do this, Professor?"  Now Professor Myfanwy looked up, raising an eyebrow at him with a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"Do what, Harry?"

"This potion for Professor Lupin.  You've spent over thirteen years on it.  Is it just because Professor Lupin is your friend?"

She set her quill and her diary in her lap and gave Harry her full attention.  "That's a very personal question Harry," Professor Myfanwy told him, though she didn't seem angry.  A distant pain flickered across her eyes.  "And there's a very long answer as well but the short of it is that this is the best I could do."

Harry thought about this.  If it wasn't entirely for Professor Lupin then . . ."Is it because of my parents?"  

Professor Myfanwy cocked her head, surprised at his insight.  "In a way, yes, it is," she told him.  "Severus Snape will tell you that your father's arrogance killed him.  Actually it was more mine.  Sirius and I had a monstrous row the night your parents were killed.  He didn't like me using Remus Lupin as my Secret Keeper because he didn't think he could be trusted.  I insisted."  Professor Myfanwy tucked her quill in her hair before continuing.  "I didn't want to distrust our friend just because he was a werewolf.  Sirius didn't want to take the chance.  I'm sure my stubbornness terrified him."

"So he switched with Wormtail?"  Harry concluded.  

"Exactly.  If Remus betrayed us Sirius could worry about protecting me because James and Lily couldn't be discovered through him.  He didn't tell me about the switch so that I couldn't reveal it if we were captured by the Death Eaters."

"We knew someone close to us was a spy.  The Death Eaters came too close too often.  Everyone hoped it was an associate and not one of the Marauders," she laughed mirthlessly.  "And Wormtail played us masterfully.  Sirius suspected Remus, I was furious with Sirius over it.  Neither told James, of course.  Peter was always there to 'remind' us that James had enough on his mind; he didn't need to be bothered with a lovers quarrel.  And for me alone he would point out that Sirius was overly tired and a bit paranoid," Rowan's voice lowered, barely concealing the current of bitter fury.  "Oh, Peter was cunning.  He masterfully played us against one another.  And none of us caught it.  We didn't know.  In hindsight it may seem obvious, but at the time it wasn't."

"I wasn't there when Voldemort killed your parents and my other friends were dead, or wished they were."  Harry winced inwardly.  Professor Myfanwy obviously knew the Dementors.  "Dumbledore refused to allow Remus Lupin or I to take you.  I think I felt - and still in a way still feel - that I had failed my closest friends.  Do you see what I'm saying?"

"You shouldn't blame yourself for my parents deaths."  Harry told her sincerely.

She smiled sadly at him.  "And you shouldn't blame yourself for Cedric Diggory's death.  But you do, don't you?"  Harry reddened slightly in guilt.  "Voldemort destroys anything he thinks may interfere.  He murdered my entire clan because we have a long history of meddling.  He would have killed you, at one-years-old, simply because you may have opposed him later.  He'd already wiped out your grandparents."

"You knew my grandparents?"  Harry's eyes widened.  He'd never seen them outside of the Mirror of Erised in first year and no one spoke of them.  Professor Myfanwy smiled sadly.

"No, I'm afraid not.  They died a bit before your mother and I fell in with the Marauders."

A pair of canine howls from the forest interrupted them momentarily.  "Padfoot and Moony," Professor Myfanwy identified them.  "It's good that Moony has someone to howl with again."  Several more howls answered the roaming Marauders from deeper in the forest.

"That didn't sound like Moony and Padfoot."  Harry noted, a thread of nervousness winding through him.

"No, that's the resident pack of werewolves," Professor Myfanwy reported.

"Like Professor Lupin?"  Harry asked in surprise, wondering how many wolf-men wandered the Hogwarts forest and where they went when the moon wasn't full.

"Not at all," she laughed.  "Remember your Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons, Harry.  Lycanthropy is an ancient curse.  Didn't you study the original werewolves?  The Lukoi?"

"They're real wolves, aren't they?"  Harry asked, trying to remember back to Professor Lupin's lessons on werewolves during third year.  "But very smart wolves."

"A very rare and unnaturally clever form of magical wolf that can transfer lycanthropy to humans during the full moon," Professor Myfanwy nodded.

"There's a pack of them in the Forest?"  Harry yelped.  "Shouldn't we go inside?" 

"We're sitting in the middle of a field of wolfsbane," Professor Myfanwy assured him.  "And they rarely come this close to the castle.  Don't be afraid."  Harry found himself reassured, and resumed harvesting while listening to the continued singing of the wolves.  He had to admit there was something otherworldly and very beautiful about it.

~*~*~*~

Special thanks goes to FPW for his assistance on the werewolves!


	20. The Lion and the Unicorn

Chapter 19 – The Lion and the Unicorn

~*~*~*~

A low snuffling sound startled Harry, who was considerably closer to the Forest trees from his aconite harvesting.  Harry's head snapped up.  "What was that?"

Professor Myfanwy looked up from the plant she was examining.  "Hmm?  Did you hear something Harry?"

The snuffling sound repeated itself, this time accompanied by a low growl and a scratching.  Professor Myfanwy stood and silently joined him, her eyes peering into the inky darkness of the trees.  Harry glanced toward the safety of the castle sitting in the distance.

As he looked back to the tree line he choked back a cry.  Shining eyes glared at them, glittering balefully in the light of the full moon.  "Werewolves."  Professor Myfanwy answered his unasked question as she stepped closer to him and slung her own satchel around his neck, not taking her eyes off the monsters in the trees.  "Harry.  Don't panic.  I'm going to have to ask you to climb on my back and hold on very tight in a moment."  She said levelly.  Harry glanced at Myfanwy, trying to figure out what she meant when she suddenly turned into a unicorn!  Professor Myfanwy was an Animagus!

The unicorn kneeled to allow Harry to climb onto its back.  He quickly clutched at the shining mane, wrapping his hands in the silky strands to keep from falling as she rose back to her feet and spun away from the trees.  The werewolves howled in frustration, pounding out of the trees to chase the fleeing pair.

They heard the monsters snapping and howling further behind them and the unicorn tossed her head in frustration.  Harry held on for dear life as his ride switched directions away from the castle and sped at a dead run parallel to the trees of the Forbidden Forest.  They seemed to fly past the trees, quicksilver in the moonlight.  Moments later they pounded up to the door of Hagrid's cabin.  Unicorns were fast; they had gained a few moments from the pack.  Professor Myfanwy turned back into herself and pushed Harry towards the door.  "Get inside, Harry!  I'll get rid of them!"  Then the unicorn was back, ebony to silver horn gleaming in the moonlight.  Harry didn't waste anymore time.  He jerked Hagrid's door open and ran in, slamming it behind him.  Hagrid stood up, surprised at the commotion and Harry's sudden entrance.  Fang leaped on Harry, slobbering all over his face.

Hagrid quickly led Harry to a chair, asking what was wrong.  "Werewolves, Hagrid!"  Harry cried.  "Werewolves attacked Professor Myfanwy and I!  And she went back out to drive them off!"

"Ah, don' worry none, Harry."  Hagrid told him, sitting back down by the fire and gesturing Harry into a chair.  "There's not a werewolf alive that can catch a unicorn.  And not a magical creature alive that'd harm Rowan Myfanwy."

"A unicorn."  Harry whispered, shocked.  Suddenly he leaped to his feet, realizing what that meant.  "Hagrid!  Professor Myfanwy's an animagus!  She's a unicorn animagus just like the one in my dream!"

"Of course I'm an animagus."  Professor Myfanwy's voice suddenly asked from the doorway.  Harry started and looked back.  Professor Myfanwy stood with her back to the wooden door, cold eyes strangely intense.  "I can't very well study wild werewolves as a human, you know.  Now what dream?"  Harry hesitated, unsure of how much to say when Professor Myfanwy suddenly nodded.  "Oh right.  Dumbledore told me about that.  Yes, Harry, I am your unicorn."  She confirmed.

Professor Myfanwy flicked her wand at the table and a tea service appeared quickly pouring itself into three cups of fragrant chamomile tea.  She handed one to Harry and a larger one to Hagrid before taking one herself.

"Here, Harry.  It's best with honey."  She smiled slightly, a distracted ghost of her usual teasing grin.  "Not all my concoctions are as bad as Remus makes them out to be."  Professor Myfanwy spooned a dollop of dark honey into hers and stirred thoughtfully.  "Hagrid, have any of the centaurs said anything about strange happenings?  Perhaps I should speak to them."

"What do yeh want ter talk to those dreamers and stargazers for, Rowan?"  Hagrid asked, puzzled.  Harry silently agreed it was a rather odd request.  The centaurs he had met were all more concerned with the future than the present.  They probably wouldn't care one way o' the other if the werewolves're actin' funny.

"Stargazers.  Exactly.  The werewolves are bound to the moon," she replied, expression still distant.  "Astronomical anomalies could be affecting them.  Though Remus hasn't said anything."  She shook her head, focusing back on the present.  "I don't like this."  She thought silently for several more minutes before draining her cup and rising quickly.  "Would you see Harry back up to the castle, Hagrid?"  Professor Myfanwy requested, quickly magicked her teacup and saucer into the sink.  "And tell the Headmaster what's happened.  I'm going to go find Moony and Padfoot.  This whole thing stinks of Death Eaters."

Rowan accompanied them back out the door, transforming into the watchful unicorn the instant they stepped outside.  She waited until Harry and Hagrid were halfway to the castle before disappearing into the depths of the Forbidden Forest.

~*~

Padfoot waited patiently beneath the trapdoor to the Shrieking Shack, keeping a keen nose on the proceedings above him.  Moony never liked anyone around during the transformation itself but as soon as the familiar man-scent fully switched to wolf, Padfoot nosed the trapdoor open and let out a soft questioning bark.  The soft clickety of sharp claws on wood answered him as Moony wobbled into view.  Moony sat back on his haunches, gaining his bearings and waiting for the last of the pain to subside.

Moony spotted Padfoot's head poking up comically from the floorboards and let his tongue loll out in canine laughter.  Padfoot barked at him and disappeared into the hidden tunnel.

Padfoot and Moony sprinted down the tunnel, excited to escape. Despite the war, despite He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and despite annoyingly skittish mediwitches, Padfoot truly looked forward to roaming the Forbidden Forest with Moony that night.

The two nosed their way out between the roots of the Whomping Willow and noticed the unusual stillness of the branches above their heads.  Padfoot looked toward a particular knot on the tree roots.  Crookshanks sat there, paw firmly on the knot, freezing the tree.  A few seconds later, Orion appeared out of the darkness with a protesting fairy clamped in his jaws.  Orion's black pelt made it look disconcertingly as though a disembodied cat's head floated out of the darkness, lit by fairy light.

The cats waited until the dog and the wolf stepped beyond the boundaries of the tree before Orion released the fairy and he and Crookshanks tore off after it, dodging willow branches.

~*~

Padfoot and Moony tore through the trees, chasing each other into the depths of the Forbidden Forest and acting like a pair of roughhousing puppies.  So far they'd scared three centaurs, fought off a pair of very large rodents, outrun a herd of ominous bunnies and very nearly ran through a pair of ghosts looking for a bit of privacy.

Padfoot crept silently through the thick underbrush, then leaped blindly through and ramming into the furry weight of Moony.  Moony scrabbled fruitlessly at the edge of the muddy slide he stood on before disappearing into the weeds with a snarl followed by a loud yelp and a splash.  Padfoot's tail wagged smugly as he carefully ventured down after his friend.

Suddenly the hillside beneath his paws gave way, sending Padfoot careening the rest of the way down the hillside with a howl.  Moony laughed wolfishly at the large dog as Padfoot joined him at the bottom with a spectacular flop into the stream.  Padfoot struggled to his feet and mock-growled at Moony before sacking him, soaking them both.

Soon canine dignity was forgotten as they splashed like overgrown pups.

~*~

A blindingly white unicorn leaped into the clearing; one with very familiar markings.  The unicorn disappeared instantly, replaced by a much smaller witch in white velvet robes.

"There you are!"  She gasped, breathing hard.  "And Moony's still sane?"  Padfoot returned to his normal form with a quick *POP* and frowned.

"What do you mean still sane?  What's going on?"

"A pack of werewolves attacked Harry and I," Rowan told him, momentarily shoving all earlier awkwardness and emotional entanglements to the back burner.  "Harry's safe, back in the castle."  She assured them both.  "But those wolves scared me, Padfoot.  They weren't normal."

Moony settled on his haunches and yipped bitterly at her.  Rowan answered him distractedly.  "Of course, werewolves aren't normal, Moony.  But the Alpha's eyes were glowing."

"A Watching Charm," Sirius concluded.  "Anything else unusual?"

"Yes," her eyes narrowed.  "It's like they were under the influence of the Imperious Curse.   They weren't responding to me at all."  Moony added another growl.

Sirius raised an eyebrow at Rowan.  "Translation?"

"'No sane werewolf chases a unicorn,'" she answered.

"Unless the person controlling it knows the unicorn is a certain animagus," Sirius growled dangerously, his eyes flashing.  "Wormtail."

"No, Padfoot," Rowan snapped.  "I'm registered with the Ministry.  Anyone who bothered to look would know what I look like!  You're obsessed!"

Sirius glared at her and started to retort, but Moony snarled at them both.  Rowan blinked and flushed slightly.

"That would be 'stop fighting, you two!' am I right?"  Sirius asked sardonically.  Rowan nodded.  "Have you told Dumbledore yet?"

"I sent Hagrid," Rowan reported.  "But he'll want to talk to me."

"Then let's go.  Come on, Moony," Sirius melted back into the form of Padfoot.  Moony looked startled at the suggestion.

"You didn't think we'd leave you behind, did you?"  Rowan smirked at him.  Moony put his muzzle between his paws, making it clear he'd rather be left behind.  "Stop whining."  Rowan reached down and scratched his ears.  "At the very least you get to scare Snape."  Padfoot's tongue lolled out in canine laughter at her comment then barked sharply for her to hurry up.

Rowan raised an eyebrow at him.  "Do you really want to race me, Padfoot?" she asked sweetly, taking a few measured steps toward him.  Padfoot ducked as she transformed mid-step and leaped daintily over their heads.  Rowan flicked her white lion tail in amusement and plunged into the undergrowth.  Moony looked at Padfoot and shook his ruff in exasperation before bounding after their friend.  Padfoot's tongue lolled out as he rushed to follow, half expecting a stag to bound out of the forest trees and join them.  For the first time in a long time things felt almost right.

~*~*~*~


	21. Sweet Surrender

Chapter 20 – Sweet Surrender

~*~*~*~

 SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1Dumbledore mulled silently over everything they'd told him, his blue eyes grave at the possible implications. "You're absolutely sure they weren't simply attacking the smell of human flesh, Rowan?" He asked finally.   
  


"I'm not human, Headmaster." Rowan pointed out coolly, curling up even farther into her large armchair and pulling her knees to her chest in thought.   
  


"But Mr. Potter is." Dumbledore commented.   
  


"Potter, by all accounts was sitting in the middle of a field of wolfsbane at the time." Snape pointed out, casting a subtle glare towards Moony, who lay across the doorway. "It's doubtful the beasts could even smell him."   
  


"Then they were sent intentionally after Harry." Sirius concluded darkly before glancing toward his one time fiancée. "Or Rowan. How much does Voldemort know?"   
  


"Anything Peter knows, I'd imagine." She snapped bitterly. "And if he didn't _know before that he suspected it."   
  
_

"And Wormtail knows a hell of a lot more than he needs to, doesn't he?" Sirius bit out, not so subtly bringing up the letters she'd received from the little rat.   
  


"Which means Voldemort is doing everything in his power to neutralize the threat of the Vox Veritas Argentum as well as the last Potter." Dumbledore finished for them, his voice intruding and soothing the blossoming argument. Sirius and Rowan both dropped their eyes like a pair of chastised children.   
  


Snape's mouth twisted into a mocking sneer at their reaction before he added a comment of his own. "As entertaining as watching infighting among the troublemakers is, how many more are to be sacrificed to your combined pride?"   
  


"Severus!" Dumbledore's voice cracked warningly at the Potions Master. Severus smirked triumphantly at the three pairs of eyes glaring at him before apologizing to the Headmaster. Dumbledore accepted and made a decision. "Rowan, Sirius, Remus, I'm extending our agreement and asking that neither you, Rowan, nor Harry Potter leave the grounds for the remainder of the term."   
  


Rowan shook her head. "Are you sure?" She asked. "I feel like my skills are being wasted. Perhaps if I . . ."   
  
  


"As useful as you are to our side, Rowan, you could be even more useful to Voldemort." Dumbledore sighed heavily. "Despite our best efforts he''s growing stronger. I will owl your Grandfather immediately, Rowan, and advise him to keep a closer watch on Morgaine and Ger. We can't afford Voldemort gaining a Seer or our loosing one."   
  


Rowan paled at the thought of losing even more people to the Dark Lord, but managed a weak nod. Sirius's fists clenched in frustration. He didn't have any right to simply cross the three steps separating them and comfort her when she obviously needed it, but he bloody well felt like he should!   
  


Dumbledore noticed as well and smiled sympathetically at them both before he stood. "It's late, and hardly the time for more public conferences." He purposefully caught Sirius's eye and raised an eyebrow.   
  


"I'll be going then." Rowan stood, stepping carefully over the werewolf guarding the door. "See you at breakfast, Moony."   
  
Sirius reached out immediately and gently caught her arm. "You said later." He noted firmly. "It's later."   
  


Rowan blinked, looking down at his hand, which was still wrapped securely around her wrist. "It's the middle of the night!"   
  


"Rowan, please? We need to talk." Sirius's voice took on a note of pleading and he looked very hard into her eyes. The fear apparent there tore at him, but he didn't release her. "Now." Her accustomed impartial façade quickly masked that momentary glimpse of emotion. She slowly nodded and he released her.   
  


"My office then?" She asked. Sirius nodded silent agreement. Snape grumbled something nasty-sounding under his breath before pushing past them. Moony stepped lightly to the side and settled down on his haunches next to Dumbledore. Neither spoke as they wound their way through the ancient stone halls of Hogwarts.

~*~

Orion woke up from his nap on the desk chair as the pair entered the study. The cat grumbled and glared affrontedly as Rowan scooped him out of the chair and absently began stroking him. Touches of Rowan's unique style of décor touched every element of the room. Sirius even recognized some of the objects from his past visits to her home in Wales.   
  


In fact, she decorated her office much like she decorated her school dorm so long ago. Rowan had been the only witch he'd ever known to haul a beanbag chair with her to school. (The better to study alone in and she was often alone. On the other hand, later in her Hogwarts years, Sirius hazily recalled a few not-so-alone moments in that beanbag chair as well.) With a small grin, Sirius decided to see how little Rowan Myfanwy had changed in the last twenty years.   
  


"What are you rooting around for, Sirius?" Rowan finally demanded after watching him for several minutes.   
  


"Your toffee stash. You always have something sweet hidden away." He replied, still intent on his search. Rowan waved at the small crystal bowl perched on her desk.   
  


"Help yourself. I'm not exactly hiding it."   
  


"That," he pointed at the bowl, "is not your stash, Rowan. I know you better than that. That's a false sacrifice and the Weasley twins probably gave it to you. The good stuff is hidden somewhere else." He grinned roguishly at her before continuing his hunt. Rowan rolled her eyes but she levered herself out of her chair, dropping Orion on the floor, and walked over to the fireplace, opened a tall decorative urn that stood to one side and ferreted through it for a moment. She came up with a strip of lemon drops, a sugar quill and a wrapped chocolate orange. She tossed the orange to Sirius, which he caught deftly.   
  


"Chocolate isn't good for dogs, you know." She told him as she peeled a lemon drop off for herself. The faint ghost of an amused smile tugged at one corner of her lips.   
  


"So, you developed the Wolfsbane Potion," Sirius commented, stretching out comfortably on the hearthrug with his chocolate orange. Rowan blinked, obviously thrown by his choice of conversation topic. Her work? They hadn't spoken in over fifteen years and he wanted to talk about her work? She didn't know whether to be amused, irritated or disappointed. She settled on nodding and settling into a low chair.   
  


Sirius followed her movements intently with his eyes. Rowan refused to meet his eyes, choosing to stare at points above or to the side of his face. "You haven't hounded me for three days to talk about my work."   
  


"No, I didn't," he nodded, a small smile threatening to creep over his lips at her obvious discomfort. Strangely, she found she couldn't look at him.   
  


"Why did you then?"   
  


Sirius stared into the fire for a few moments. "I'm not really sure." He finally answered. "We do need to talk, Rowan."   
  


"What's there to discuss?" She challenged. Sirius abruptly rolled to his feet and started pacing agitatedly.   
  


"Harry. Voldemort. Us. I don't know! Come on, Rowan, we're fighting on the same side here!"  
  
"You didn't go to this much trouble to talk to me about the war." Rowan pointed out, eyes narrowing. "Or Harry. And our mutual allegiance doesn't require private meetings without Dumbledore's consent."   
  


"I didn't mean it that way," Sirius said, haunted eyes intense. "I meant we shouldn't be fighting."   
  


Rowan lowered her eyes further, staring at her hands. His tense fists unclenched. "I'm sorry."   
  


She nodded. "So am I, Sirius."   
  


"You've spoken with Remus. You know what happened that night. And in the Shrieking Shack." Sirius ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "That ghastly row we had that last night. Lord but that haunts me, Rowan."   
  
Her continued stony silence unnerved him and Sirius opened his mouth to break the tension. "Don't!" Rowan warned him. "I don't want to hear whatever explanation you might have. That's always been your problem, you leap in before you even think about the consequences."   
  


Sirius' face contorted briefly in guilt. "I had to go after Wormtail, no one else knew the truth!"   
  


"How hard would it have been for you to Apparate to my house or send an owl? I would've even settled for a bloody Howler! Good stars, Padfoot, even a passing grindylow could have given me a message!"   
  
  


Sirius blinked in surprise before he slowly smiled in satisfaction. "That's the Rowan I know. The one that never hesitated to tell me when I was being an idiot." Sirius stepped closer, his eyes dark.   
  


Rowan stepped back. "But you never stop to think, do you Sirius?" Her voice grew rougher. "Do you know how hard it was for me to have Dumbledore tell me that you were being taken to Azkaban? I thought you would have easily died rather than betray Lily and James.   
  


"That's how it looked! You'd sided with Voldemort. He'd wiped out all the Potters and all but two of my family! And we had to accept that!"   
  


Sirius winced at the pain that flowed over Rowan's face. "I'm sorry Rowan. I thought about it too. If I could take away the pain I caused you I would, but I can't." He looked down at his feet then back up.   
  


He focused on her pale blue eyes, now smoldering with contained anger and an almost forgotten emotion. "You know? There's something I've waited fourteen years to tell you." He spoke quietly, locking his hands around her shoulders.   
  


Rowan hardly had time to gasp before his lips claimed hers, drawing her carefully into a slow, warm kiss that quickly morphed and deepened with fifteen years of pent up passion as Sirius threaded his fingers through her hair. He broke the kiss gently, whispering, "I love you," softly against her mouth before releasing her. Rowan's eyes dropped to the hearthrug, clouding with confusion, but she didn't move further than to wrap her hands over where his had just been. She glanced back up at him, unsure of what to say.   
  


"Sirius . . ."   
  


"Almost fifteen years," he growled, cutting off any chance at denial. "That is too bloody long if you ask me." Sirius settled his hands firmly on her shoulders again; afraid she'd bolt again. "What are we waiting for Rowan?"  
  


"Let me go, please," she whispered, refusing to face him as a tear slipped down her cheek. Sirius kept his voice very calm as he responded.   
  


"If I do, will you bolt again and avoid me like you've been doing for the past three days?"

'Not a bad idea,' she thought dryly, suddenly desperately missing the ability to Apparate. She was terrified, crying and wanted more than anything . . . well, she wasn't quite sure what she wanted right then. Sirius reached up and gently wiped the tears away. "Don't," he asked. "Please, Rowan. I spent twelve years in Azkaban watching you cry. I'd rather not watch any more."   
  
Rowan squeezed her eyes together and took a steadying breath. Sirius visibly held himself in check. He didn't want to push her, but what was taking so bloody long?   
  


"I need to think," she finally admitted.   
  


Sirius' face broke into a smile. "You, Rowan Myfanwy, think too much." He chuckled, running a gentle finger along her jaw. Rowan looked up, startled, and involuntarily trembling at the touch.   
  


"I . . ." The words were cut off as Sirius caught her lips in another soul-stealing kiss. "Stop that!"" Rowan finally gasped, struggling slightly against his hold. Sirius released her fully this time. She stepped back and straightened her robes primly; annoyed at their wrinkled appearance. She didn't say anything or even move for a long moment. The silence extended and Sirius started worrying. Silence, like the eye of a storm, never boded well with Rowan's temper. Sirius swallowed heavily as he suddenly found himself staring down the polished length of Rowan Myfanwy's wand and decided he absolutely hated how quickly she could draw it.   
  


He only dimly remembered the wand that rested in his own robe pocket and vividly recalled her prowess in dueling. Rowan's icy blue-fire eyes locked his attention exclusively.   
  


"You, Sirius Black," She advanced slowly and inexorably, forcing him back step by step. "are playing a very dangerous game." Sirius yelped as he felt cold stone press against his back.   
  


He felt precisely like one of Orion's catnip mousies; trapped, and at the mercy of a very devious predator. "Rowan, shouldn't you . . ."" She advanced again, and Sirius retreated, knocking the large urn next to the hearth over with a frantic clang. Sugar quills, chocolate, and several sherbet balls rolled across the floor. Sirius winced, but didn't dare look away to check the damage. Rowan herself barely spared the cascade a glance.   
  


Stepping back once more Sirius stumbled, his foot catching on the hearthrug, and sprawled to the floor, landing heavily on the edge of the beanbag chair. A small, catlike smile touched Rowan's lips. She pressed him further, dropping to one knee beside his prone form with one arm supporting her and the other firmly pressing the tip of her wand into his chest. Sirius edged away as far from the wand as he could and managed to securely mire himself in the oversized beanbag chair.   
  


He suddenly rocked back even further as Rowan's hand flattened across his chest, trapping the smooth length of the wand between them, and kissed him deeply. Sirius, caught off guard, froze momentarily before responding. He growled slightly, irritated and delighted before pulling her closer and deeper into the kiss.   
  


"This is not, exactly, how I imagined my night ending." Rowan laughed softly, laying her head against his chest. Sirius smiled and pulled her closer, kissing her hair fondly. This, he thought, was almost exactly how he'd hoped this night to end.   
                                                                                                                        

"Stay with me." He requested.

~*~*~*~


	22. Loose Ends

Chapter 22 - Loose Ends  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Rowan glanced at Sirius, her eyebrows raised in question.  
  
Sirius quickly reviewed what he had just said, realized that it could be taken in different ways and flushed slightly. "I . . . I'm sorry that just came out wrong. I didn't mean that..." He stopped stuttering and ran his fingers through his short hair in frustration. "Not that I would complain if-" He cut that thought off abruptly when he realized that he was speaking aloud. He'd already done enough to anger Rowan - it was, frankly, amazing she'd forgiven him thus far - and it wouldn't sit well if he told her that he wouldn't complain if she wanted to do more.  
  
Frustrated, Sirius began pacing. I had been too long. He was out of practice, badly, at this. How did one tell the women they loved more then life itself - and would gladly make love to in an instant, if she gave him the slightest signal that she would allow it -that he would be content if she simply allowed him to remain close for a bit longer?  
  
He knew Rowan far too well and, given the way things had turned out, he was grudging grateful for her original ultimatum. No matter how infuriating it had been for him in the past. She'd had enough to worry about after Wormtail's betrayal without a small version of Sirius running around causing trouble. He'd missed so much of Harry's life while in Azkaban. What if he had missed his own son's as well? The thought terrified him.  
  
James and Lily died. Harry suffered under the dubious mercy of Lily's Muggle family. Sirius faced the horrors of Azkaban, in the constant presence of the dementors. Rowan and Moony had been left to sort through the tattered pieces of their lives and futures. By Merlin, how could things have turned out worse? Six lives shattered, all because Peter couldn't be bothered to protect his friends. Familiar rage smoldered within Sirius.  
  
"Rowan, I'm sorry about everything." He stopped pacing and looked at her, his heart in his eyes. "I'm sorry."  
  
Unexpectedly, she giggled, catching him completely off guard. "Prongs always did the bambi eyes better, you know."  
  
Sirius' shocked look melted into a wry grin. "You are a holy terror, do you know that?"  
  
She answered him with a small, knowing smile. "Are you attempting to seduce me, Sirius Black?" Sirius replied with a mocking grin as he moved closer and enfolded her in his arms. Verbal sparring matches were old, familiar territory.  
  
"An old game I have yet to win."  
  
"One you very nearly won," She laughed, poking an accusing finger into his chest. Sirius caught the hand and brought it to his lips.  
  
"One I intend to win yet." He bent to give her a kiss, but a slithery bump startled the pair and they turned to see the bright green tail end of an escaping runespoor disappear under a cabinet. "What is that?" Sirius asked, slightly alarmed.  
  
"That was a hungry runespoor." Rowan laughed at his expression. "Its name is Rune and I think it's mad because I forgot to feed it tonight."  
  
"Rune?" Sirius raised an eyebrow. "My, what an original name. Did you pick him up in Romania?"  
  
"Oh stop!" she rolled her eyes. "Rune is a perfectly good name! Hagrid found it slithering about the pumpkin patch at the start of term and gave it to me. I don't think the poor thing was dangerous enough for Hagrid. It's only mildly venomous."  
  
"Mildly?" Sirius asked cautiously as he stepped away from the cabinet. Rowan knelt down and tried to coax Rune out. Sirius shook his head, Rowan and Hagrid were two peas in a pod as far as Magical Creatures were concerned: the scarier the better. "Did Hagrid ever tell you about Buckbeak?"  
  
Rowan turned and looked at him quizzically. "No, what does that . . ."  
  
A sudden terrified squeaking followed by a triumphant triple hiss rattled the desk. Sirius and Rowan looked over to see a long, bald rat-tail disappearing into the suddenly emerald hearth flames and the intra-castle floo network. A determined Rune followed an instant later in pursuit of his prey, diving fearlessly into the hearth and disappearing in the flames.  
  
"You leave the fireplace open?" Sirius asked incredulously. That, in his opinion, didn't seem very wise, even in Hogwarts. He dimly noted that he'd been spending too much time around Mad-Eye Moody.  
  
"Not usually," Rowan frowned. "Rune must have opened it. It and Orion are clever enough to work it and it's better than constantly opening and closing the door for Orion." She laughed wryly, getting to her feet and brushing the dust off her robes. "He doesn't understand that humans aren't here to pander to his every wish and desire. If I'm in here I'm usually in the middle of something. Can you imagine the look on Severus' face if I showed up in the hospital wing with scratches and potion burns? I wouldn't be able to live it down for weeks. I . . ." Rowan words stilled as Sirius chuckled and silenced her diatribe with a kiss. She really did talk too much.  
  
~*~  
  
Harry burst into the Gryffindor common room; barely noticing his two best friends spring to opposite ends of the couch they shared, rather breathless and flushed. Harry barely spared them a glance before he excitedly began relating the night's events, ending with the revelation that Professor Myfanwy was a unicorn animagus. "She must be unregistered, but Hagrid didn't seem surprised," He commented, pacing across the width of the hearth. Hermione looked indignant.  
  
"She is registered! You owled me about it last summer," She reminded him.  
  
"You never replied," Harry told her. "Then I forgot to ask you again at the Burrow."  
  
"Harry, I did," Hermione protested. "I sent you a letter with Pigwigeon before you even left the Dursley's!"  
  
"There's your problem," Ron snorted. "The feathery git probably delivered it to the wrong person."  
  
"Well, it's not like your relatives to forward mail, either," Ginny commented from the dormitory stairs. She glared at Ron in defense of the little owl. "I'd say it's either gathering dust in your cupboard or ashes in the Dursley's hearth."  
  
She came the rest of the way down, wrapping her slightly tatty housecoat closer around herself. Her brown eyes flickered toward Ron and Hermione, an amused glint catching in them as she took in their dishevelled appearance and overly casual attitudes. She took a seat on another couch, looking mildly surprised when Harry joined her.  
  
Ron stared at Ginny, as though just noticing her. "You're up awfully late, Ginny. You weren't having nightmares again, were you?" He asked. Ginny frowned at him for mentioning that.  
  
"Nightmares?" Harry asked, turning to Ginny in concern.  
  
"It's nothing," Ginny blushed prettily and turned back to Ron. "I heard you talking to Harry. I wanted to know how his detention had gone." She turned to Harry with wide eyes and Harry felt a lurch in his stomach. "Werewolves, Harry? Really?"  
  
"Um . . .yeah," Harry responded, oddly uncomfortable with her scrutiny. 'Stop it', he commanded himself, 'it's only Ginny!' A Ginny in a greater state of undress than he'd ever seen her . . . Harry cleared his throat and continued. "Professor Myfanwy said we have a wild pack of them on the grounds. We were harvesting wolfsbane tonight and the pack attacked us."  
  
"Outside?" Ginny frowned. "On a full moon?"  
  
"Professor Myfanwy was right there, Ginny," Hermione added primly.  
  
"So was Siri . . . um, Snuffles and Professor Lupin," Harry added, hoping Ginny would understand their codename for Sirius. "We heard them not far off."  
  
"It was still dangerous!" Ginny protested darkly. She suddenly grabbed Harry's hands in concern. Harry blinked, looking down at their clasped hands in surprise, noting distantly how very soft, but cold, her hands were. "I can't believe she put you in danger like that!"  
  
"She wasn't happy about their behaviour tonight!" Harry defended, confused at Ginny's unusually prickly attitude. "She left me with Hagrid to go find Snuffles and Lupin. I was safe!"  
  
"What if this whole thing was a trap set by You-Know-Who?" Ginny countered.  
  
"That's not possible!" Ron paled slightly. "You-Know-Who couldn't control the werewolves like that, could he?"  
  
"Snape said he was trying," Harry pointed out, reminding Ron of the conversation they'd overheard. What if, indeed? Harry thought, his mind going over possible implications of Voldemort's new power. I explained why the Death Eaters were after Professor Myfanwy. Who else knew as much about werewolves? Hermione insisted she was 'the wizarding world's foremost expert on lycanthropy'. Ginny's voice suddenly broke into his train of thought.  
  
"I'm going back to bed," she announced, shooting a smug, teasing look at her blushing brother. "Don't keep Hermione up too late, Ron."  
  
~*~*~*~ 


	23. Dark Dreams and Old Memories

Dark scene.  Sorry.  And I am forever in debt to A97865!  You ROX!  Why, I can't really say because it would spoil stuff I'm using later.  But David knows!  (heck anyone who had to suffer through 'Kat is HYPER!' night knows!  Who knew I have no tolerance for caffeine?)

Chapter 22 - Old Memories and Dark Dreams

~*~

"Explain your failure, Wormtail."  Voldemort's cold voice spoke from the undulating shadows surrounding his skeletal form.

"No failure my Lord!"  The pathetic form of Peter Pettigrew wailed from his prone position at Voldemort's feet.  His silver hand glinted dully in the torchlight; his body shook from the aftermath of the Cruciatus Curse, punishment for a job poorly done.  "She can't withstand the Imperius Curse, my Lord, just as you expected!  We captured Rowan Myfanwy as you asked, but she did not have the Amulet.  Dumbledore wiped the memory from the staff's minds."

"Yet that Muggle-loving fool, Dumbledore, undoubtedly knows." Voldemort's long-fingered hands steepled contemplatively.  "Why didn't you simply use the girl against Dumbledore?  Or did you not think of that, Wormtail."  Voldemort's wand rose fractionally, prompting a strangled sob from cowering wizard.

"I would have, my Lord!  I intended to!  Avery used a Memory Charm on her and I hid in her robes as a rat."  Wormtail's small eyes became slightly frenzied, "but Sirius Black never left her side after we returned!  There is no way I could fend off both of them.  Black would kill me in an instant!  Myfanwy would pour Veratiserum down my throat first!"

"Nervous about confronting your old comrades, Wormtail?"  Voldemort questioned silkily.  "Do you wish their deaths of me?"  Wormtail's jaw slackened in shock at Voldemort's offer.  The lidless lips curled upward in a cruel parody of a smile.  "Or would you prefer the power to bring them to my side?  A . . . slightly altered . . . Black and Myfanwy would make an interesting addition to our side.  An excellent addition to the Lestranges and both from old wizarding lines."  The Dark Lord swept past Wormtail's prostrate form, a voracious glitter darkening his crimson eyes.  "Arrange another 'experiment', Wormtail, and inform Lucius."  Voldemort halted as a thought occurred to him.  "And remind him that I will not remove the memories of his actions toward the girl.  Her price for any . . . inconveniences . . . may be in blood."

Wormtail bowed low and kissed Voldemort's robes before Disapparating into the night.

~*~

Harry blinked blearily - barely making out the fuzzy, dawn bathed shapes of his dormitory - and groped for his glasses.  Nearby he heard the deep breaths of Ron, Seamus, Neville and Dean, still sleeping, undisturbed by the strange dreams funneled in by Harry's scar.

Harry settled his glasses on his nose and reached over to his nightstand for his pocket watch.  The still dim light of false dawn was just enough for him to make out the hands' position.  It read just after five.  The others wouldn't awake for several hours yet.  Then most of them would finish packing, eager to begin the first day of the Christmas Holiday.

Harry, as always, would stay at Hogwarts with Ron, Hermione, Ginny and the twins staying as well.  Without the lure of the Yule Ball this year even fewer students were staying over the Holidays than usual.  Most of the students were returning home, making up for the lost family time last year. They'd have the Gryffindor common room to themselves and possibly the rest of the school as well.  Harry sincerely hoped to see more of his godfather with the school deserted.

Harry snapped his watch closed, moved to set it back on his nightstand, but stopped and sat back against his pillows instead.  A stag, a dog, a rat, a wolf and a unicorn, all standing in a field of lilies.  Harry traced the delicate figures with his index finger.  Now he knew what it meant!  James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin, Rowan Myfanwy and Lily Evans!  Sirius had told him his grandparents had the watch made for his father when James became Head Boy.  Harry was willing to bet it was made with the advice of Lily Evans to become a private joke among the six of them.  A beautiful, if unusual, design and a sly inside joke for the six friends.

He had to tell Dumbledore about the dream!  Sirius and Rowan needed to know too.  Harry crept out of his four-poster and started dressing.

"Where are you going?"  A sleepy-sounding Ron asked from behind Harry.  Harry turned to see his best friend blinking owlishly in the early morning light.

"To Dumbledore.  I had another dream."  This woke Ron immediately.

"A . . . about You-Know-Who?"  He asked, carefully keeping his voice low and glancing at the three other boys in their dormitory.  Harry nodded.  Ron threw off his covers and started pulling on his robes over his pajamas.  "Let's go then, Dumbledore has to know."

"Ron!  What are you doing?"  Harry demanded softly.  Ron was acting unusually businesslike, almost like Hermione.

"Harry, I'll get the story out of you later anyway.  Why wait and make you tell it twice?"  Ron shrugged reasonably.  "Where's the invisibility cloak?  I'll go get Hermione."

~*~

"It's five in the morning, Harry."  Hermione yawned, tying her robe's pink sash as Ron pulled the invisibility cloak off himself.  Harry stopped his distracted pacing and started for the portrait hole, clearly expecting the other two to follow.  "Harry, no one's going to be awake.  Shouldn't we wait a bit?"  Hermione's voice stopped him.  Harry turned back to see his two friends standing at the bottom of the dormitory stairs, watching him in worry.  "What's this all about, anyway?"

"Harry had another dream about Voldemort."  Ron told her and Harry impatiently gave Hermione an account of the dream conversation between Voldemort and Wormtail.  

"We have to tell Dumbledore."  Ron insisted, grabbing Hermione's arm and pulling her toward the portrait hole.  Hermione dug her heels in and tossed Ron off her arm.  She raised an eyebrow and stared at them for a moment before shaking her head.

"At five in the morning?"  She sighed again, then turned and headed back up the dormitory stairs.

"Hermione!"  Ron and Harry protested.  Hermione turned back to them and placed her hands on her hips.

"It will wait until after breakfast you two!  There's no need to wake up Dumbledore at an ungodly hour for this!  Or Snuffles, or Professor Myfanwy!"

"Well, it's not like those two slept much last night anyway."  Ron shrugged  "They're probably still in Myfanwy's office."

"Ron!"  Hermione looked absolutely scandalized.

"What?"  Ron protested, looking at Hermione with insulted innocence.  "I just meant that they've been chasing werewolves all about the Forbidden Forest for most of the night and now they're starting a 'talk' that'll probably last several hours!  Why, Hermione?  What did you think I'd meant?"

Hermione blushed scarlet and raced up the stairs to the safety of her dormitory.

Ron looked at Harry then back at the place Hermione had just vacated in confusion.  "Girls are weird."  He finally concluded sagely.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Yes, I'm still alive. Surprised? Yeah, me too. But Finals are over and that's what was distracting me the most from writing. I absolutely _had _to pass Japanese and that takes a _lot_ of study! I have my Degree!!! My very first college degree! I'm so proud of myself!

Lia Snowstar: I am much better, thank you. Honestly the powdered hens teeth would have been preferable to what I _did _take! I've another Snape/Sirius/Rowan fight scheduled for next chapter. Deserted hallways, no Dumbledore, Snape insulting Rowan . . .should be fun! Why don't you just send me an email with which flashbacks you want and I'll see what I can scare up? I've got a few written out, mostly, and I'm probably going to write the sequel and the immediate prequel right after I finish this one. The prequel covers right after Rowan leaves Hogwarts (she's a year behind the others) and up through the development of the Wolfsbane potion. And, yes, the entire pack is very fun to write! James and Sirius are hilarious together, I've found.

TatraMegami: Thanks!

Celtic Ember: *snicker* I was looking for a sharp objects after the third final on Monday! I will not abandon this story, I promise! The ending is written, as is the opening chapter of the sequel. Now just have to get there . . .

Viper2005: No promises on the cliffhangers. I'll try not to, but no promises.

Nell: Thank you! And, yes, they're _way_ too young. Hence me putting in a few older couples. *winks*

Harriet: Thanks:)

Galadriel7: I've been studying so hard I haven't had time to read Imogen's latest yet! Though she warned me the last time I chatted with her that I'd be ready to kill her . . . Let's all start praying her life settles down soon so she can get back to writing! Imogen is also going to have a baby so that could be interfering. That's basically the story with everyone. The Queen's are swamped with real life right now and a lot of the GT'ers got together at Paula's (Firebolt909) house this weekend for "Towerstock". (this is also behind the 'groovy' layout we've got at the moment) I wouldn't expect them to get anything productivedone; Lot's of insanity, maybe, but nothing productive.

May 2002


	24. Moving On

Chapter 24 - Moving On

  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sirius stretched languidly as the morning sun found it's way through the tall windows above him, bringing an unwelcome end to pleasant dreams. He found himself smiling at the small form nestled securely beside his own. Her white robes were wrinkled and her hair mussed, and never, in his opinion, had she looked lovelier. Rowan's dark hair fanned over his arm and her slightly bruised lips quirked upward in a contented smile.

  
  


Sirius hadn't meant to stay the entire night, but Rowan had drifted off to sleep in his arms and he hadn't had the heart to wake her. He also hadn't quite trusted himself to simply carry her back to her room and tuck her in, assuming he could find the Staff Wing.

  
  


He felt thoroughly content and Sirius began to realize where Rowan's abnormal fondness for pillows (specifically his pillows) stemmed from: comfort. Sirius realized, as he woke fully into the winter morning sunlight, that, for the first time in over fourteen years, he had slept in human form and avoided the nightmares, nightmares that usually woke him screaming and gasping for breath. Rowan's presence quieted the creeping death-cold of the dementors!

  
  


This, he realized, was also the reason he'd woken up in the dead of night so often during the latter bit of his Hogwarts days to find his bookish girlfriend curled up beside him, usually in tears. Or, on her easier nights, found his pillows had all absconded to the sixth-year girls dormitory.

  
  


Rowan's nightmares had been horrible. She had missed her family desperately, been forced into the position of Clan Elder at sixteen, and became one of the youngest inductees of the Order of the Phoenix and the War with Voldemort for her unusual talents. She'd never complained - at least not in public, though she occasionally confided her frustrations to Sirius - merely sought silent comfort when it became too much. Even James avoided commenting on it, and, as Head Boy, he should have. But neither he nor Lily ever did more than exchange the occasional worried look or whispered conversation.

  
  


Whatever their reasons, Lily covered for Rowan in the girls dormitory, James never said anything overtly, but let Rowan 'discover' the existence of his invisibility cloak and Peter followed his lead. Remus never said anything either, though Sirius would occasionally catch him with a sort of smile drifting across his face. Sirius had a sneaky suspicion that Moony was more wolfish than he generally let on and, even then, considered the pair of them mated.

  
  


Mated. There was another large tangle to be dealt with. Firstly, Rowan wasn't wearing any jewelry, beyond a pair of silver earrings, let alone her engagement ring! His own had been taken by the Ministry wizards long ago. Honestly, after thirteen years, their engagement was most certainly annulled. The thought bothered him immensely. After waiting for so long, he didn't want to lose her again.

  
  


However, when he came right down to it, Sirius realized he really had no right. Rowan was the leader of the most powerful wizarding family in Britain while he was an escaped convict. Regardless of their feelings on the matter, this wasn't a relationship that was going to work right now!

  
  


Following this thought was a feeling of dread. The next night would not be good. There would be no Rowan involved. There couldn't be. No comforting warmth in his arms, and no soul-stealing kisses to call him from the brink of despair. The nightmares would return, and probably worse for being repressed so throughly the previous night.

  
  


Coward, his inner voice accused. You're using her! She won't thank you for it later!

  
  


Beside him Rowan stirred, blinking as she shifted to look up at him. "Sirius," she murmured softly, invading his thoughts with her voice.

  
  


Lost in his thoughts, Sirius didn't register the rest of the sentence. "Hmm?" He mumbled absently, not looking down at the witch in his arms.

  
  


Rowan pulled away and poked him lightly. "Padfoot!" She said a bit more sharply, forcing his attention to her.

  
  


"What?"

  
  


Rowan smiled at him and playfully threw his words back at him. "You think too much."

  
  


Sirius began to deny it, but reconsidered and kissed her forehead. "Morning, love."

  
  


She murmured something vaguely agreeing and snuggled a bit closer. "What time is it?"

  
  


They couldn't quite see the clock Rowan kept beside her desk, but Sirius could guess from the bright sunlight streaming in the windows. "About seven?"

  
  


"Ungodly hour. Wake me up at nine." Rowan grumbled before snuggling more comfortably into his arms. Sirius chuckled deeply and raised an eyebrow mockingly.

  
  


"Aren't you worried about being late for class, Professor Myfanwy?"

  
  


"Stop it, you." She mock-glared at him. "Christmas Holidays start today and the students are leaving. I don't have classes, so I can afford a bit of a lie in."

  
  


"Really?" Sirius looked at her, his eyes gleaming with sudden mischief as he mulled over various plans for the day. "So you're free all day, then?" Harry would probably want to see him, but Sirius also wanted time to continue the mending he and Rowan had started the night before. She had, apparently, forgiven him for his earlier betrayals, but he knew this girl all too well. She didn't trust him, not yet. Rowan may have given him her heart, but she hadn't given him her trust. He'd have to earn it.

  
  


"Unless one of my students pops up with a last minute question, yes." Rowan answered, interrupting his thoughts. "And I wouldn't put it past one of the Ravenclaws or Hermione Granger."

  
  


They sat - or rather lay as they were still comfortably mired in the beanbag chair - in silence for several minutes, until Sirius' eyes slid closed and he began to decide that perhaps Rowan had the right idea. Seven AM was too early for conscious thought. He loved that about her. Rowan, unlike Moony, wasn't a morning person, and Sirius felt quite content to just curl up and finish catching up on a bit of the sleep they'd missed the night before. On the brink of dreaming, Sirius felt something slither by. Sirius opened one eye cautiously, wondering what flesh-rending monster had escaped it's confinement, praying it wasn't a lethifold, and found three glistening pairs of eyes staring at him. Three small, gray forked tongues flickered out, tickling his face with their feathery touch. 

Sirius grinned. "What, you can work the castle floo network, but you can't let yourself into your cage, Rune?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Head One snapped at him, Head Three hung its head in chagrin and Head Two looked confused. Sirius laughed outright, waking up Rowan, and startling the runespoor. The snake slithered off Sirius' chest and coiled on the floor, watching the two expectantly.

  
  


"All right, I give up." Rowan sighed, trying to suppress a smile as she rolled off Sirius and stood. She leaned down and coaxed the runespoor onto her arm and turned to put it back in it's cage. "Did you catch your rat, Rune?" She asked as it slid back into it's glass box. The runespoor hung its heads and hissed dejectedly. Rowan reached in and stroked its back in consolation before firmly shutting the lid and turning back to Sirius.

  
  


"Naps will have to come later. Hungry yet?"

  
  


Sirius grinned at her. "Always." He answered.

  
  


A mischievous grin crept across Rowan's lips and eyes as she thought of something. "Kitchen raid, Padfoot?" She suggested innocently.

  
  


"I think so." Padfoot nodded, a mischievous glint lighting in his eyes as well.

~*~

Twenty minutes later found them securely hidden in the kitchen. Sirius and Rowan collapsed in laughter once they made it without being seen, lamented that they were growing old, and promised to find Moony and pull a few pranks on Snape and Filch for old times sake.

  
  


The house elves mobbed them immediately, only too happy to fill a request for a special breakfast, which they thoughtfully packed in a basket. Rowan thanked the house elves before slipping out of the kitchen, heavily laden down with food enough for a large party and Padfoot loping silently at her side. 

Rowan stood at the bottom of the stairs, her hand resting lightly on the banister. Sirius had wanted to come down with her, but he was still a wanted man. Even with it being Christmas holidays, it was still too dangerous. 

  
  


Her Ravenclaw students interrupted her at the oddest times. What if they caught Sirius in her office? How could she possibly describe her relationship with her . . . Boyfriend? Fiancé? No not fiancé, she decided. She'd lost her engagement ring long ago. Well, not precisely lost. She remembered sealing it away in its velvet box and leaving it on the garden paths of CaerMyrddin. Then she'd fled, leaving her painful memories behind her or locking them deep inside, crushing her heart and her idealism in one ruthless action. "Boyfriend" sounded too juvenile, somehow. Beloved? Yes, certainly that.

  
  


Content with her qualification, Rowan looked down at Padfoot to suggest a new location for breakfast while changing direction and leading the way behind the great hall toward the staff quarters. Her comment turned into a surprised gasp and a stumble as she collided sharply with Severus Snape.

  
  


Sirius lunged forward, transforming mid-stride, and caught her in his arms. Snape shot them both a derisive glare while picking himself off the stone floor and resettling his robes. "I find it amazing you've had any small success at Potions, Myfanwy," he snapped nastily. "When simple walking seems to be beyond you! "

  
  


"Good morning, Severus." Rowan replied brightly, sharply elbowing Sirius to keep him quiet. She refused to allow the Slytherin to ruin her good mood and she wasn't about to let Sirius spoil it either.

  
  


"You're reverting to old school-girl habits, I see." Snape's black eyes narrowed and focused on Sirius. "Old boyfriends as well." Sirius glared balefully at the Potions Master, but kept his silence. Snape smiled nastily, throughly enjoying watching the insufferable Sirius Black be so controlled by a female. "You seem to be making quite a collection of them, Rowan. First Lupin, then Pettigrew, and now Black. Such a pity Potter isn't alive for you to complete your collection."

  
  


Snape's face snapped back as he was hit simultaneously by a spell from Rowan's wand and Sirius' fist.

  
  


"You really are a barbarian, do you know that?" Rowan commented idly, as she checked her wand for damage. Sirius cast a glare toward her then glanced back at Snape. His nose oozed a healthy stream of blood, but otherwise he hadn't taken visible damage. On second glance, Sirius found that ominous.

  
  


"What did you do to him?" He ask with curious trepidation.

  
  


"Nothing that can't be undone by Madame Pomfrey." She smiled sweetly, making Sirius shudder and look at her askance. Rowan kissed him lightly, before stepping across the prone body on the floor and opening the wall to the Staff Quarters. "Let's just say Severus won't be catching any scoring any goals on that broomstick for a while."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Yes, I'm quite aware that my POV was completely screwed over in this chapter. Sorry about that. I'm starting to think I need to re-edit this whole story.

  
  


Reviews:

  
  


Ferguspork: Thank you! It's in Music. *shudders* I'm hopeless at chemistry. Good with physics though!

  
  


Nell: lol, it's reviewers like you that keep me going! And remind me to update!

  
  


Viper2005: I never see you in chat anymore! Thanks though! And I write as fast as I can. Though my parents won't exactly let me sit in front of a computer all day!

  
  


Gros minou #1: *bows* Thank you! Next term is going to be so easy! I got rid of all my hard classes! Lots of writing from me I hope!

  
  


Galadriel7: Hermione is being snitty because she doesn't think they should disturb Dumbledore. Polite prefect Hermione! And Ron's just panicking. It wasn't that short page-wise. Must have been good if it seemed short! :)

  
  


Lia Snowstar: I loved your email! (Email junkie? Me? Noooo!) I've also got a few more outtakes for you. I just had to buckle down and finish this chapter. Sirius was being a total git for me!

  
  


TheMonkeyStoleMyDadsVisaCard: Long name! Yes, I'll be your beta. Just send me the chapters you want me to look at by email! Don't worry. It's really hard sometimes to remember "they are not eighteen! They can't get married yet!"

  
  


TatraMegami: Thanks! That invisibility cloak's going to get a lot of use . . .

  
  


Lily Evans: Thanks you!

  
  


Celtic Ember: May I say, SQ is really hard to get on? Yes, I survived finals. Ended up in tears once, but I survived!

  
  


Mija: No worries. I don't usually manage to review every chapter either, and this is a long story! Thank you! I've been nervous about my characterization lately! Glad to know I'm not too far off!

  
  


May 2002


	25. Minister Maladies

Chapter 24 – Ministry Maladies

~*~*~*~

Harry, Hermione and Ron picked tensely at their breakfasts, ignoring the jubilant chatter of the other students around them, until Harry finally stood up in frustration.  "I'm talking to Dumbledore.  I'll see you both later."

Hermione nodded and Ron gave him a weakly encouraging smile.  The festive exuberance around them felt at odds with their knowledge of Voldemort's plans.

Harry forged his way through the milling throngs of students heading home, and toward Dumbledore's office.  The old wizard had met Harry at the foot of his tower and invited him up immediately, not looking the slightest bit tired.  Harry wondered if Dumbledore really was omniscient within the walls of Hogwarts, because he didn't show any surprise when Harry told him of his strange dream.  Dumbledore merely listened silently to Harry's narrative, his long fingers steepled thoughtfully.

"I think we should call Rowan and Sirius in for this discussion."  Dumbledore said at length before he stood and crossed to his fireplace.  Dumbledore drew a pinch of glittering powder out of a jar on the fireplace and threw it into the flames."

"Rowan?  A word, if you don't mind."  Almost instantly, Professor Myfanwy's head appeared in the flames.  She looked rather confused.

"Yes, Headmaster?"

"Is Sirius with you, Rowan?"  Dumbledore asked.  Professor Myfanwy blinked in surprise,

"Right here, Professor."  Sirius appeared quickly beside Professor Myfanwy, both of them looking rather like a pair of seventh years being caught behind the greenhouses.

"I'd like a word with both of you."  Harry saw an amused look glint behind Dumbledore's spectacles.  The two heads disappeared momentarily.  Then a large shape appeared, revolving very fast.  Sirius clambered carefully through the fireplace before reaching back to politely assist Rowan through.

"You called, Professor?  Oh!  Hello, Harry," Sirius said, surprised to see his godson seated in front of Dumbledore.  Rowan attempted to brush the last bit of grey ash from her white robes, grumbling slightly when it wouldn't leave.

"Young Mr Potter has had another dream about Voldemort."  Dumbledore told them calmly as he gestured the pair into chairs before his desk.  "One that concerns you both."    Both adults looked surprised and Harry noticed as Sirius' hand instinctively threaded with Professor Myfanwy's.

"What did you see, Harry?"  Myfanwy prompted gently.

"Voldemort was punishing Wormtail for not bringing you back to him, Professor."  Harry reported.  "Wormtail said . . . he said the werewolves behaviour was a trap," he looked at Myfanwy.  "He knew you'd try to drive them off and they ambushed you."

She smiled sadly and nodded.  "Peter knows me very well, I'm afraid.  They must have charmed my memory.  I don't remember any of this."

"Avery did, after Wormtail used the Imperius curse.  He was looking for the Amulet of Achidnae."  Harry supplied.  Sirius looked livid at this news.  Myfanwy looked only slightly ill.  Then a thought occurred to Harry as he remembered their first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson with Myfanwy.  "Wormtail must know that you've seen the Amulet before.  You said you had months ago!"

"Yes, Harry, I know what the Amulet looks like and Wormtail knew that, but I don't know where it is."  She glanced over at Dumbledore with a speculative look.  He merely gestured for Harry to continue.  Harry quickly told them the rest, everything he'd overheard, including the imminent contact they'd probably receive from Lucius Malfoy.

"Voldemort didn't want to kill you both, however," Dumbledore concluded after Harry.  "He thinks there's a way to permanently alter your memories."

"Confundus and Memory charms?"  Rowan glanced curiously at Sirius, who nodded grimly.

"It would have to be _very _precise, but it's possible."

"Lily could have done it."  Rowan pointed out.  Harry's ears perked at the mention of his mother.  Dumbledore watched the pair carefully for a moment.

"You're both taking this surprisingly well."  He noted.

"Not at all, Professor."  Myfanwy shook her head, a distinct growl creeping into her voice.  "We just found out that Voldemort wants to brainwash us into becoming his loyal minions."  She looked toward Sirius.  "He's done so well with Wormtail, I suppose Voldemort's decided to upgrade to the better model of Marauder."

"We're not worried, Professor, we're furious."  Sirius's eyes widened in alarm.  "Remus is in danger!"

"So is Morgaine."  Rowan concluded.  "Voldemort wants a Vox Veritas Argentum, but it's only a short matter of time before he finds out there's a Seer up for grabs as well.  We'd better them both into the castle.  Headmaster?" she looked to Dumbledore urgently.

"I'll have the house elves fix up a room for her.  Will you invite your grandfather as well?"

"I'll invite him," Myfanwy said hesitantly, "but I doubt he'll come.  I'll also write to Ger and tell him not to accept any field assignments for a bit and be extra careful.  He works in the Department of Mysteries, so he should be safe enough."

Harry started to ask a question when a small commotion erupted behind them.

"Minister Fudge!"  Professor McGonagall's voice echoed up from outside the office door.  "Professor Dumbledore is extremely busy at the moment."

"My dear woman, this is important!"  Fudge's voice snapped back, clearly coming closer.  Everyone looked at each other in slight panic.  They heard a faint *pop* as Sirius transformed into Padfoot and quickly moved to lie demurely beside Fawkes' perch.

"Dumbledore!"  Cornelius Fudge burst through the door like a pinstriped puffin.  "Where is . . . oh, Miss Myfanwy!"  Fudge drew up short as Professor Myfanwy rose from her seat and watched his entrance coolly.  Fudge bustled forward, firmly clasping Myfanwy's hand before she extracted it and nodded formally toward him.  Professor McGonagall glared severely at Fudge's back as she entered behind him and cast an apologetic look toward the Headmaster and Professor Myfanwy.

"You are looking for me, Minister?"  

"Ah yes, Rowan, however . . ." Fudge looked at Harry and frowned slightly.  "Professor McGonagall?  Would you be so kind as to escort Harry out?  I'm sure he's got packing to do."  Harry rolled his eyes, wondering where Fudge thought he was going.  Harry never spent the holidays away from Hogwarts.

"He may stay," Myfanwy cut him off, a slight glint of frost entering her voice and darkening her eyes.  "I was speaking to him before you arrived, Minister.  I am not finished yet, and I'm in no mood to chase them down later.  I'm sure you understand," she smiled sweetly, but the smile didn't quite touch her eyes.  Harry was reminded again, sharply, of Morgan le Fay, sister to the High King, nobility in her own right.

"Yes, of course," Fudge quailed slightly.  He coughed and changed the subject.  "As you can see from today's Daily Prophet," Fudge began, pulling the offending paper out of his robe pocket.  "We have a bit of a . . . situation."

"I've not seen the paper yet this morning," Myfanwy apologized airily and Fudge immediately handed her his copy.  She took it with a brief nod of thanks and scanned over the headline before handing it to Harry, trusting him to position it so Padfoot could read as well.  Harry felt a sickening lurch in his stomach.  The largest headline read:  "Azkaban Abandoned".

"I told you to remove Azkaban from the control of the dementors, Cornelius."  Dumbledore shook his head sadly.  "Now they are loose and have rejoined Voldemort's ranks!"  Fudge's face reddened 

"You-Know-Who has not returned, Dumbledore!  I won't hear of it!  All you're accomplishing by believing this madness is panic!  We've enough problems as it is!"

Myfanwy stepped forward, pinning Fudge with a dark look.  "I fail to see what this has to do with me, Minister."

Fudge straightened importantly.  "Your . . . peculiar abilities are in great demand at the moment."

"They often are," Myfanwy noted coldly.  "But I don't work for the Ministry."

"Yes, yes, I know," Fudge waved her off.  Myfanwy pressed her lips in irritation at being interrupted.  "But at the moment you can hardly say 'no', now can you?"

"No."

"You see?"  Fudge beamed.  "I knew you'd see reason.  Come then, you'll be back before classes resume in a few weeks."

"I said, no."  Professor Myfanwy said, a trace of impatience entering her voice.  "I meant, Minister, that I won't be leaving Hogwarts.  I've given my word not to leave the grounds."

"Now see here, Myfanwy!  You're the only one that can communicate completely with these beasts!"  Fudge said sharply.  "It's your duty . . ."

"It is not!  I do not work for the Ministry, however, I _am_ employed by Headmaster Dumbledore and under strict contract not to leave the grounds."  Professor Myfanwy snapped with all the irritation of a virtually sleepless night with too many high emotions preceding it.  Padfoot moved from his place near Fawkes and sat down next to Rowan in a show of emotional support.  "We've lost Azkaban."  Myfanwy continued.  "We're losing ground, Cornelius.  Whomever was left in Azkaban is worse than dead now.  Voldemort has returned and he's gaining power quickly!  If we don't act soon the wizarding world is going to blow up in our faces!"

"Well, it's not as though Black hasn't spirited away the worst of the Death Eaters already, my dear!"  Fudge blustered.  "The ones left over were expendable.  If anyone is setting themselves up as You-Know-Who reborn, it's Sirius Black!"

"No it wasn't!"  Harry protested, drawing Fudge's attention.  The hackles on Padfoot's back rose and he growled slightly.

"Who else could it be?"  Fudge demanded plaintively.

"Voldemort!"  Dumbledore, Rowan and Harry all cried at the same time.  Fudge winced and turned back to Professor Myfanwy.

"Rowan, be reasonable."  Fudge sighed.  "We don't want any innocents Kissed.  Simply come with me, assist us with the dementors, and then you can return!  You'll be perfectly safe, I assure you."

Myfanwy looked quickly to Dumbledore, biting her lip in exhaustion and worry, then turned back to Fudge.  "I . . . I will think on it, Cornelius.  That is all I will promise."

"I'll escort you out of the castle, Minister."  Professor McGonagall said sternly, stepping forward and nailing the Minister with a disapproving glare.  Fudge pursed his lips in frustration before nodding brusquely to them all, jamming his bowler hat on his head and marching out the door.

"Something is _very_ wrong here."  Professor Myfanwy concluded, watching the door Fudge had just disappeared out of speculatively.  "And I'm not sure what . . ."

Sirius transformed back into himself and quickly gathered Rowan into his arms.  "What about the Express, Professor?"  Sirius asked.  "Are the students safe?"

"I've asked most of the Staff to ride with the Express today."  Dumbledore assured them.  "The students should be quite safe."

"Um . . . Professor Myfanwy?"  Harry ventured.  The adults quieted and turned to him expectantly.  "What did the Minister mean when he said you're the only one that communicate with the beasts?  What beasts?"

Professor Myfanwy smiled at him kindly.  "I'm a Vox Veritas Argentum, Harry.  That alone gives me some sway with most magical beasts.  Dementors, though?" she shuddered.  "Not likely."

"The dementors of Azkaban can speak without translation as well," Dumbledore noted. His long fingers steepled thoughtfully.  "A trap, perhaps?"

"You think Fudge is a Death Eater?"  Harry asked, surprised.  He thought back to Fudge's actions directly after the Triwizard Tournament.  Sirius pursed his lips.

"Not necessarily, Harry.  Maybe one of his aids or someone that has his ear."  Sirius raised an eyebrow at Myfanwy and Dumbledore.  "Either of you know the political waters better than I do.  Any known Death Eaters have Fudge's ear?"

Myfanwy's eyes lit up.  "Malfoy!  Lucius Malfoy donates huge sums of gold to St. Mungo's and other large charities.  He has a lot of influence in the Ministry.  Almost as much as I do."

"Wormtail was supposed to contact Malfoy."  Harry added quietly.

"And knowing that, we may be able to trap them in their own cleverness."  Rowan's smiled turned lightly feral and deviously mischievous.  The difference from his coolly regal Professor was startling.  It looked as though the Rowan Myfanwy of fifteen years ago was shining through and Harry recognized his first real glimpse of the clever Gryffindor Head Girl and the only female to ever fully entrap Sirius Black.  "It looks like your dreams are turning out to be invaluable, Harry.  Perhaps we should watch you and your friends for Seer ability."

This stopped Harry. "My friends?  I thought these dreams came because of my scar."

She laughed and agreed.  "Probably.  The only other explanation would be you or one of your closest friends being a true Seer.  Gory death predictions don't count."  She added as an afterthought, prompting laughter from the three men.

~*~*~*~

The Reviews and the Author's note from Hades 

Thank you's and smilies go to:  Lana Potter, HarryandGinny4eva, Viper2005, and Julephenia!

MoonSweety:  Thanks, and when I get around to it.  There should be some in the next chapter, I think.

Nell:  I'll try to work things in.  Rowan doesn't hate Snape.  She leaves that to Sirius.

Pudadingding:  Not gone, just shrunk. *evil smile*

Ferguspork:  I sing and play the cello. :)

Lia Snowstar:  Thank you, I really needed that.

Bucky:  I'm very glad you like the story.  However, this entire story is plotted out and I'm _not _deviating from that plot.  This is also _my _story and I'll write in whatever and whomever I want.  I could finish the entire story in one chapter and then call it that if everyone would prefer.  However, I warn you that you probably wouldn't like the ending.

I'm not upset with anyone, not at all.  But I do ask that everyone indulge my slight obsession with Sirius and Remus.  I can't do really good romance with Harry and Ginny or Ron and Hermione because they are simply too young and inexperienced, whereas Rowan and Sirius have a very complex relationship and a _lot_ of emotional baggage to sort through.

Remember, they were_ five days_ from being married and they're members of what amounts to a (rather strange) wolf pack.  From that perspective, wolves don't understand 'engaged' so they were MATES!  And then Sirius and Rowan had a spectacular fight over their pack-brother Remus, Peter betrayed them all, the Potters died and they lost Harry to the Dursleys.  The pack was suddenly ripped down to two from seven.

Sirius spent 12 years in hell and Rowan had a full out nervous breakdown because she was still reeling from the loss of over 200 members of her family two years before.  It's amazing they're both sane.  That's not going to resolve itself in a few hours.  Actually, I'm probably moving a bit too fast.  I really apologise if I'm not pulling this story off well.  I am trying!

May 2002


	26. Interlude: True Friend

Interlude: True Friend

"Sock stealing Ginny" is originally Imogen's idea. (Queen of Gryffindor and Beta-reader extraordinaire, may we all bow down to her glory!)  :)

~*~*~*~

"Harry?"    Harry looked up from his place on the hearthrug to see Hermione standing on the dormitory stairs, her pink housecoat pulled close against the winter chill.  

"Hi Hermione," he greeted

"It's late.  Are you all right?"

"Fine," Harry responded automatically.  Hermione tilted her head and raised a skeptical eyebrow.  She walked closer to Harry and settled near him on the hearthrug.

"You're a horrible liar, Harry," she told him.  Harry looked up in surprise and she grinned.  "You're worrying.  Why?"

"Hermione," Harry hesitated, wondering if he should just tell her, wondering if the simple act of talking about it would help his worry.  Harry didn't know.  He'd never fully confided in anyone quite like this.  Ron wouldn't know what to say, but he half feared Hermione would be sympathetic and draw him up a booklist.  Harry couldn't even confide in Sirius because he was central to the problem!  Harry felt confused and didn't know what to say.  Hermione solved his dilemma by piecing it together herself.

"You're worrying about Sirius, aren't you?"  Her expression told him it wasn't a question.  Harry hedged and attempted to change the subject.

"Ron's going to yell at you for stealing his socks, you know," he pointed to the tartan wool socks adorning Hermione's feet.  "You've been spending too much time around Ginny."  Hermione merely grinned, nodded and switched back to the previous subject.

"You were so happy when Sirius told us he was staying in the castle for the Holidays, what happened?" she pressed.

"I am happy about that!"  Harry ran a hand through his messy hair and sighed.  "But . . . Sirius loves her a lot, doesn't he?"

Hermione blinked at the abrupt question and Harry kicked himself mentally.  That wasn't the most delicate way to put it.  Hermione's hand on his knee snapped him out of his mental diatribe.

"Sirius loves you too, Harry," Hermione assured him, her brown eyes warm and sympathetic.  "And so does Rowan.  She's probably your godmother."  Hermione added this last bit distractedly, as though thinking out loud.

Harry stared at her, shocked for a moment then nodded slowly.

"My parents made Sirius my godfather, didn't they?  So making his fiancée my godmother would be logical."  Harry felt oddly betrayed.  "Why didn't she say something?"

"She was probably worried about how you would react." Hermione told him logically.  Harry smiled, feeling slightly ashamed of himself.  He couldn't expect someone he didn't remember to suddenly pull him aside after class and say, "Harry, I'm you're godmother" now could he?

"Talk to her, Harry," Hermione advised.  "The Myfanwys are a very powerful wizarding family, you know.  It even mentions them in _Hogwarts, A History_!  If anyone can influence the Ministry into give Sirius a fair trial, they can."

Harry laughed.  Only Hermione would try to prove someone was important because they were mentioned in _Hogwarts, A History_.

~*~*~*~


	27. The Beginning of the Holidays

Chapter 27 – The Beginning of the Holidays

~*~*~*~

Harry discovered the first evening of the Christmas Holiday that he, the Weasleys and Hermione were, in fact, the _only_ students remaining in the castle over the holidays.  Apparently, between rumours of Voldemort's return and the Yule Ball of the previous year, the families of the other students had summoned their children home for the holidays.  Sirius, still very cautious about his safety, took to remaining in the form of Padfoot most of the time, but remained in the castle.

Rowan, of course, ordered Morgaine back to Hogwarts, and, surprisingly, she arrived the very next day in the protective shadow of their enigmatic grandfather.  Even Dumbledore seemed delighted at the extra visitor, and Harry felt an odd thrill as the venerable wizard smiled at him and insisted that he and the other "younglings" address him as Grandfather.

Harry had never had anyone to call Grandfather before and found he rather liked the experience.  He wasn't sure if normal wizarding Grandfathers spent their evenings telling incredible stories with the aid of well-practiced charms or mysteriously producing sweets filched from Rowan's private stores, but he decided he wouldn't trade Grandfather Merlin willingly.  Harry very carefully avoided all thought of returning to the Dursleys after the term ended.

The Weasley twins also seemed to enjoy the prospect of "fresh meat" to test their pranks on.  In fact, they managed a few hilarious jokes on Morgaine, who turned out to be slightly too sweet and trusting for her own good.  They'd already learned earlier in the year that pranks pulled on Professor Myfanwy had a tendency to backfire or simply not go off.  They'd tried nearly everything in her classroom and hadn't managed to land even one.  The same went for Professor Lupin, who seemed to be uncannily adept at spotting pranks.

Sirius Black also turned out to be a dangerous opponent in setting pranks.  Sirius usually managed to modify the intended prank into returning to the would-be pranksters with a magnified effect.  Fred and George ended up polka-dotted, voiceless, and even transfigured into a pair of radishes in the first week of holiday alone.  They grumbled mightily and puzzled over how exactly the three adults managed their luck.  Harry and Ron grinned to each other and decided not to point out that the twins were attempting to one-up the Marauders.

~*~

The Forbidden Forest nestled peacefully under its soft blanket of fresh snow, sheltering the wandering pair beneath its boughs.

"This is very nice."  Rowan murmured contentedly snuggling close to Sirius's side.  They'd managed to escape the festively decorated halls of Hogwarts for a bit and slip onto the grounds for a short walk along the edge of the Forest.  Though they both carried their wands, neither was terribly worried about the more exotic inhabitants of the Forbidden Forest.  It never hurt to be a bit cautious.

Suddenly Rowan giggled.  "What?"  Sirius asked, smiling at her laughter.

"I was remembering Morgaine's face when she bit into that Canary cream the twins gave her."  Rowan laughed.  "Heightened senses and she didn't even _notice_ the look on their faces!"

"Morgaine's not you, love.  She didn't pull pranks on a regular basis," Sirius reminded her with a grin.  "And what do you mean by heightened senses?"

Rowan stilled slightly, a sure sign that she was reliving a painful memory.  "Morgaine developed extraordinary senses about eight years ago after being bitten by a werewolf in Canada."

Sirius halted and faced Rowan in shock.  "She's a werewolf?"

"No!"  Rowan shook her head vehemently.  "She's cured.  The curse doesn't work on other . . . Dark-blooded creatures."  Rowan bit her lip anxiously.  Sirius smiled gently at her and cupped her face in his hand, enjoying the feeling as she leaned into the caress.

"Is that how you found the cure?"

"And began the Wolfsbane," she nodded.  "Morgaine was very ill for the first full moon.  Moony even petitioned the Ministry for a special visa to come stay with us for it."  Now she smiled in memory.  "He was terrified.  I've never seen him so terrified."

"Moony wouldn't even wish his curse on Snape," Sirius concluded, looking forward toward the Whomping Willow and the Shrieking Shack beyond it.  "Morgaine is part of his pack but she didn't transform, did she."

"The wolf is there," Rowan stated thoughtfully.  "I know it is, but it's not strong enough to force a monthly change.  Our demon blood prevents it.  She suffers enhanced senses and the occasional wolfish behaviour, but nothing further than that."

"Wolfish behaviour?" Sirius grinned.  "What does she do, howl at the full moon?"

He expected her to laugh, but Rowan smiled sadly and pressed her body into his arms.  "No, not in the way you think." Sirius looked down at the dark-haired girl in his arms in surprise, wondering what exactly was going on here.  "What was that?"  She picked her head up, listening as they both heard a soft crunch.

"Animal?"  Sirius hazarded, glancing back toward the castle.  It was still in sight.  Rowan listened for a moment more before shrugging.

"Probably."  They lapsed back into their comfortable silence again, enjoying the rare moment of romance.  Another sharp crunch halted them and Rowan pulled her wand.  "Okay, I _know_ I heard something."  She stepped slightly away, scanning the trees for any visible sign of danger.  Sirius transformed instantly and cautiously sniffed the air.  He barked sharply at Rowan, then, remembering she couldn't understand him, transformed back and yelped as a river of cold slid down the back of his robes.

Sirius threw a spell in the general direction he'd smelled their attackers and grinned as a drift of snow cascaded out of the tree boughs.  Morgaine and Remus stumbled out from behind a pair of trees laughing and shaking their cloaks free of loose snow.  Rowan and Sirius grinned and quickly lobed snowballs at the pair making them duck back behind the trees.

Moments later the air filled with flying snowballs as the foursome engaged in an all-out snow-war.

~*~

Inside Hagrid's cabin, Harry, Hermione, and Ron heard a peculiar thunk on the door.  They looked out and saw the remains of a large snowball splattered across the wood.  Everyone looked up as yet another snowball flew overhead.  "Now that's a bit strange."  Hermione commented, watching the snowball fall.

"Hermione!  Look out!"  Ron yelled a moment too late as an errant projectile nailed Hermione, scattering bits of frost through her bushy hair.  Then Sirius skidded by with a fresh snowball in hand, followed closely by Lupin and a several more snowballs.

The two Marauders raced for the nearby greenhouses, intent on barricading themselves off from the enchanted snowballs following them and almost made it before the Weasley twins ambushed them.  Fred and George sprang out and levitated two large piles of snow, sandwiching and burying Lupin and Black between them.

"What's going on?"  Harry called to them, as the pair of redheads ran by.  The twins slowed and grinned.

"They started it!"  Fred yelled, pointing at the four adults.

"We just joined in!"  George agreed before they took off again with new snowballs and disappeared around the corner.  The twins reappeared with a startled yelp and ran for better cover as Ginny ambushed them with an entire pack of enchanted snowballs.

"Come join us!"  Ginny laughed, waving at the trio as she ran by with her red hair flying out behind her.

~*~*~*~

Okay, I've fought off the evil bought of writers block.  I will _try_ to write out parts faster, but it's very slow going at the moment.  This is an apology in advance.

The Reviews:

Lily Evans, Viper2005, HarryandGinny4eva, darrel_doomvomit: Thank you, and yes, I know it was short.  Thank my horrible writers block.

Bob33:  See previous rants about not changing storyline.  They will kiss by the end of this story.  That is all I'm promising.

Luna Rose/Phoenix Child:  Thank you!  I love your names, by the way.  

StEdWa:  Sincere apologies to your daughter!  Actually, I like Snape too.  He's such a multi-level character I find him fascinating.  What you're seeing is a bit coloured because I've been taking it from either Harry or Sirius's view.  You'll notice Rowan doesn't have a particular grudge against Snape and actually respects him quite a bit.  He thinks she's too nice and she scolded him for not eating properly.  She has only taken him to task twice and that was for saying something particularly cruel.  You'll see a bit more of him later in this story and a lot more of him in the sequel and he's much more sympathetic.  Any more and I'll spoil it!  And, yes I have original stories that I'm working on.  I'll be a published author soon!


	28. The Invitation

All right, I've been sitting on this for two days.  I may as well, just post it and get things over with.  I'm incredibly nervous about this chapter.  Hopefully it isn't too horrendous.  Apologies if it is.

~*~*~*~

Chapter 28 – The Invitation

Their impromptu snow war continued for over an hour until Ginny raced headfirst into the lake in a botched attempt to escape one of Harry's snowballs.  She came up sputtering and shivering and glared at Harry, who immediately raced over to pull her out and apologise.  Ginny blushed at his attention and insisted she was fine, though her teeth chattered and her lips were turning blue from the cold.  Harry bundled his own cloak around her shoulders and pulled her close, trying to keep her somewhat warm and move her toward the castle at the same time.  Rowan appeared at his side only moments later and smoothly took over, drying out Ginny's clothes magically and conjuring blankets to wrap her in.

"Do stop hovering, Harry, she's going to be fine!"

Ginny's lips faded back to their normal rose colour and her teeth stopped chattering after a few moments and she thanked Rowan before insisting she was quite warm again.

"Yes, dear, but it's still back to the common room and a goblet of Pepper-Up potion for now," Rowan informed her briskly, sounding remarkably like Madam Pomfrey.

"I don't need any Pepper-Up!"  Ginny protested immediately, blushing at the idea.  Pepper-Up potion was excellent at preventing colds and flu, but always made one smoke at the ears after drinking it.  With her bright red hair, Ginny always looked like a small volcano after a dose of it.

"The common room or the Hospital Wing, and we'll ask Madam Pomfrey for her opinion if you wish," Rowan stated firmly and Ginny sighed in submission before agreeing to the common room.  Apparently Ginny knew how futile arguing with determined mediwitches was.

~*~

Rowan, Ginny, Hermione and Morgaine looked up as the boys climbed through the portal just before dinner.  The girls had all left for the common room soon after Ginny's impromptu bath - a novel experience for Morgaine, who had been a Ravenclaw while at school – and now settled comfortably in various armchairs and couches.  Rowan had even exchanged her customary white robes for a woolly black sweater and trousers and curled up in a large armchair with a very large book and Orion in her lap. Hermione held an even larger book but no cat, and Morgaine sat curled up primly in an armchair with a small bit of needlework in her hands.  Aslan - Morgaine's pure white cat - looked up from his spot on the mantle and yawned.  Ginny absently pulled her quill away from Crookshanks, who was attempting to dismember it, and waved at them, pulling the too-long sleeve of her emerald green sweater away from her hand.

"What, you're branching out into sweaters now?"  Ron asked Ginny, pinching a bit of the green wool between his fingers.

"No.  I nicked those."  Rowan commented from behind her book.  "Ginny just stole the socks."  Sure enough, very thick, slightly too large, and definitely not female-style, socks adorned the feet of each of the girls.

"Ginny!  You're corrupting her!"  Ron cried.

Sirius rolled his eyes.  "No she isn't, Ron.  It's probably the other way around."  He walked up and leaned over the back of the chair.  "So, we're back to 'Rowan Myfanwy, sweater snatcher extraordinaire'?"

"Your sweaters are warmer than mine," she stated simply, snuggling further into the dark fabric.  "But the socks were still Ginny's idea and a very good idea, too."

Sirius glanced over at Ginny and raised an eyebrow.  "And Ginny is wearing Harry's sweater because . . ."

"Hermione had dibs on Ron's, Morgaine snatched Professor Lupin's, and the twins are wearing theirs."  Ginny supplied, blushing scarlet and burrowing deeper into the emerald green sweater in an attempt to disappear.  Harry had to admit she looked prettily festive in his over-large sweater.

"That's it, Harry, you are officially a Weasley," Ron declared, rolling his eyes.

"Or officially claimed by one," Sirius sniggered under his breath.  "Cute prank, Rowan."

"I thought you'd like it."  Rowan reached up and pulled him closer for a quick kiss.

"That is still extremely weird," Harry commented.

"Trust me, Harry, you'll get used to it pretty fast," Lupin remarked casually.  Then he shot a knowing look at Ron and Hermione.  "Though I'd avoid the library if you can.  Rowan and Hermione are both bookworms."

Remus found himself skewered by glares from both Rowan and Hermione.

A sharp tapping at the window interrupted them and one of the twins crossed to the window to admit a handsome eagle owl with an expensive scroll of parchment tied to its leg.

"Who's it for, George?"  Ron asked.  Everyone watched curiously as George untied the golden thread the held the parchment and released the owl to the Owlery.  It obviously hadn't been instructed to wait for a response.

"It's for Professor Myfanwy," he reported.  Rowan frowned in confusion and set her book aside to accept the scroll.  The others were so still the light crackle of the delicate parchment was clearly audible.  Rowan read quickly over the brief message and palled slightly.  Sirius seized her hand immediately in a gesture of comfort and extracted the scroll from her fingers.

"You're not going," he informed her flatly after glancing through the note.  Rowan roused herself from her momentary shock.

"I'm not a child, Sirius," she warned, glaring slightly at his presumption and retrieving the scroll.  "What do you expect me to do, walk straight into a _painfully_ obvious _trap _to set up a heroic rescue by my true love?  That only happens in bad romance novels, Sirius."

"Trap?  What trap?"  Remus perked up in concern.

"What does the letter say?"  Harry asked at the same time.

"It seems the Malfoys have invited me over for tea," Rowan answered.

~*~*~*~


	29. The First Decision

Apology in advance: Sirius does not think complimentary thoughts about Severus in this section.  On with the show!

Chapter 27 – The First Decision

~*~*~*~

'Tea' turned out to be a formal invitation to Malfoy Manor for the Ministry New Years Gala on New Years Eve.  Rowan folded up the invitation neatly and slipped it into the pocket of her robe without saying anything.  After the initial surprise wore off, the others dismissed it quickly.  Sirius worried.  He noted his mate's silence and more importantly, he knew how to interpret it.  There was the chance that Remus could also interpret Rowan's subtle public moods now, but he seemed content allowing Sirius to deal with them.

Sirius, for his part, knew what bothered Rowan, but wasn't sure how to solve it yet.  Malfoy and Wormtail were up to something sinister and the invitation was an obvious trap.  They knew better.  Lucius Malfoy, and more importantly, Peter Pettigrew wouldn't underestimate Rowan, Sirius or Dumbledore this drastically.  Peter had come up with his fair share of pranks.  He knew how to scheme.  Lucius Malfoy was an old hand at political machinations and well aware of how much power the Myfanwy name and fortune carried in Wizarding society.

"It's a trap."  Sirius muttered.

"Of course it's a trap," Rowan agreed, closing her eyes as Sirius pulled her partially into his arms.  "But what kind?"

~*~

"I wondered what Lucius was on about," Snape nodded after reading through the elegantly penned invitation.  The four of them sat in the cosy confines of Professor Myfanwy's office later that evening, Rowan watching Dumbledore impassively and occasionally nudging Sirius into silence to prevent him from rising to Severus barely concealed bait.  "Pettigrew will be there," His lips twisted into a sardonic smile as the others looked at him in shock.  "I was supposed to find a way to tactfully 'let it drop' in conversation.  Consider it dropped."

Sirius almost missed Rowan's carefully concealed amused smile as she nodded at this new information and grumbled silently while glaring at the Potions Master.  Any proximity of the Death Eater dropout to Rowan set Sirius on edge.  And Severus Snape was most certainly not supposed to be making Rowan smile!  One of the drawbacks to being a dog part of the time was Padfoot's unique territorial urges.  And close association with what constituted a very odd wolf pack didn't help matters.  Dogs did not take life mates, but wolves did, the Marauders were Padfoot's pack, and Moony was the alpha male of that pack.  This being the case, intrusion of Severus Snape was making Padfoot and Sirius both very nervous on an instinctual level.  

"I'm going."  Rowan's voice interrupted his mental soliloquy like a douse of cold water.

"No!"  Sirius and Snape protested before shooting each other dark glares.  Sirius hated agreeing with Snape, and the feeling was mutual, but he hated the stone dread that settled in him more.

"It is too dangerous," Snape continued with somewhat forced calm, pointedly ignoring Sirius.  "Black's innocence is not worth your life."  Rowan's eyes darkened slightly, but she seemed content to keep her silence for the moment.

Dumbledore coughed, breaking the mounting tension.  "I'm not going to forbid you to make your own decision on this," the aged wizard held up a stalling hand.  "But be very sure of the risk, Rowan, that's all I ask."

"Wormtail is going to be there," she noted, a determined look settling over her face.  "We don't know how long Voldemort will keep the spineless rat alive.  He knows better than to fully trust him.  I vote we do this."

Snape nodded, albeit reluctantly.  "She is correct.  The Dark Lord grows stronger each day.  It would be . . . imprudent to ignore this opportunity."

"You're agreeing with her?" Sirius demanded.  All his protective instincts flared into overdrive at the danger inherent in the idea.  Snape raised a condescendingly amused eyebrow at him.

"You're not?"

"Don't talk about me as though I'm not here!"  Rowan's voice broke through their argument.  "Like it or not, this is my decision."

"Nothing Malfoy says will convince me to put you in danger," Sirius stated firmly.  "We can find another way."

Seeing Sirius's truly terrified concern for her she softened.  "I'm not a child," Rowan pointed out gently, taking his hand in her own.  "Let me help."

"Well, if you two have finished your 'moment'" Snape's voice broke in caustically.  "Shall we plan a way that may, possibly, bring Miss Myfanwy back out alive?"

"In the morning, Severus," Dumbledore decided.  "That will be soon enough for plans and better for a nights rest."  The aged headmaster rose and smiled at the other three before dismissing them with a paternal goodnight.

~*~

Sirius quickly noted several things when he woke.  One that it was very late, or rather, early; two, that something soft and warm was cuddled up to him (this, he deduced, must be Rowan for Remus certainly didn't have this habit) and also for what he noticed last.  His pillow was gone.  This alone told him - without doubt - who it was, for one of Rowan's more endearing and infuriating habits was pillow stealing.  Sirius moved his head, carefully glancing over while taking care not to disturb the new occupant to the bed.  Sure enough, there was a black-haired witch curled around his pillow, slumbering next to him.  He chuckled silently, gently reaching up to brush a stray lock of hair behind her ear.  She smiled and leaned into his touch.  A nightmare or doubts, he realized.  And he was her old favourite source of comfort.

Sirius reached over and gently pulled her closer, settling her head on his chest and pointedly retrieving his pillow.  Rowan made a small snuffling sound and snuggled in closer.

"Worried, love?"  Sirius asked quietly, voice slightly hoarse from sleep.  Rowan shook her head, not raising her eyes.

"I'm fine," her answer was muffled in his nightclothes.

"Rowan," Sirius wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck softly.  "You can be brave for the rest of world, but you don't have to be with me.  You're not invincible," 

"And I can't afford to be innocent," she sighed, leaning into his arms.  "I'm sorry."

"For what?" he laughed softly.  "Being human?"

"I'm not human," she corrected absently, with no rancour.  Sirius smiled and kissed her lightly. 

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Fine.  Do you _need_ to talk about it?" he pressed.  Rowan tended to be very contained, even (especially) when she didn't need to be, out of habit.  Coaxing emotion out of her could be very difficult.  Especially if she decided the emotion in question was somehow weak or unfitting.  Rowan took her responsibilities as head of the Clan very seriously.

The only person he knew that kept a tighter hold on their emotions and private thoughts was Moony and he sported more emotional and physical scars than most wizards could comprehend.  Sirius laughed mirthlessly within his mind.  Not that he himself was the poster boy of mental health.  Twelve years in Azkaban and two on the lam didn't seem conducive to a well-balanced mental process.

Rowan didn't respond for a long moment, as though considering his words and how much she was going to let him in. "Just hold me," she finally requested, burrowing closer.  Sirius kissed her hair sadly.  She allowed his presence and his love, even revelled in it, but she most certainly did not trust him.  Not yet, and probably not for a long while.

~*~*~*~

Thank Roseblade Aurelius for this chapter.  She said it would be nice to see a bit more of Rowan's thoughts because she seems to be a bit much.  Does this help any?  She's not perfect, not by a long shot. :)  I know this one took a long time to write, but I had to decide on the specifics of the last bit of this story or it wouldn't have worked out right.  I now have a plan.  (you may all run in terror)

I was asked a while back who Morgan le Fey was and I don't remember if I answered or not.  She was King Arthur's half-sister and a very powerful witch.  Also Merlin's love in some stories :)

**The Reviews:**

Thank you to:  darrel_doomvomit, Whiterose, Karlie, anonymous, Sparkle, WeasleyTwinsLover1112, and Julephenia.

StEdWa:  You should _see_ how much I'm blushing right now!  Thank you!

Psychotic Disillusions:  Dust it off and upload it!  :)  I'll be glad to review it!  You'll see more Snape/Rowan scenes in the sequel (no, not like _that_!) And, yes, Lucius and Rowan detest each other.  He's almost got her killed a few times.

The Source:  Something like that, yes.  It gets more dangerous and more action, trust me.  Give me a few more days.

Albus Dumbledore:  That was said in a teasing manner, but . . . wait for it.  If he really is Merlin, Voldemort should run now, right?

Celtic Ember:  Did you want to see me shake when I sent that to Imogen?  I was half afraid she'd ask me to remove that scene!

Lia Snowstar:  You'll see.  And there is such a thing as adoption, you know.  Who's going along is obvious, I think.  And "you ain't seen nothing yet!" *diabolical smile*

Luna Rose/Phoenix Child:  Yes, I'm being awfully cruel to the Malfoys, aren't I?  About a chapter every three days or so.  I try to write faster, but that's about my norm.

Lily Evans:  What do you think? *evil smile*

Arizosa:  My tolerance for melodramatic fluff is just about nil.  And, knowing my females, they're much more likely to rescue the hero than be rescued. :)  Though they will express doubts or have tender moments, if you see Sirius and Rowan _not_ teasing each other, you know it's a very tense moment.  Romance makes a nice garnish though, doesn't it?  (think Star Wars: the Empire Strikes Back, _NOT_ Titanic)


	30. Plots and Schemes

Chapter 28 - Plots and Schemes

~*~*~*~

"Did you sleep at all?" Sirius asked in mild amusement as he opened his eyes the next morning to find a pair of content, but sleepy blue eyes looking back. At least Rowan was calmer than the night before, he thought hazily, still wallowing in the sleepy part of his mind.

"I did, yes," Rowan nodded, then yawned widely. She blushed slightly. "But not much," she admitted. "I was planning."

This woke Sirius up completely. Rowan schemed beautifully, in his opinion. If she had an idea that she found interesting and feasible enough to sacrifice sleep over . . . "Tell me."

"Not just yet," she hedged, squirming out of his arms and reaching down to pull him to his feet. Sirius frowned at her evasion and she smiled before pulling his head down for a sultry kiss. It was pure distraction technique. He knew that. Or, rather, some still sensible bit in the very dungeons of his mind registered it and protested. The rest of Sirius, however, didn't mind one bit at being distracted so pleasurably. 

"I'm coming with you," Sirius gasped as he attempted to catch his breath after the kiss. Rowan looked up at him, surprised.

"But . . ." Sirius gently placed a finger across her lips.

"I'm going."

Rowan rolled her eyes and removed his finger from her mouth. "I wasn't disagreeing with you. I was pointing out that you're not going as yourself."

"Excuse me?" Sirius now felt thoroughly confused, but she didn't explain.

"Let's go hunt down Severus. We'll need his cooperation."

Sirius raised an eyebrow and felt an ominous trickle of worry begin to thread its way through his stomach. He had a bad feeling about this.

~*~

"This is your grandiose plan?" Snape asked sceptically. "Bring the most wanted wizard into a nest of Death Eaters, abduct one of their number and hope you make it back out?"

She favoured him with an offended glare. "I have a distraction planned, of course."

"Black's appearance would certainly throw Lucius and his Death Eater cronies off balance for a moment," Snape noted grudgingly. "However, there will be Ministry Aurors in attendance as well."

"We could get caught in some pretty nasty cross-fire," Sirius winced, but willingly defended the plan. Rowan kept mostly silent, only briefly sketching out her plan for a very quick removal of Wormtail to the two men, then sitting back and allowing them to quibble over details while the implications fully sunk in.

"They don't need to know it's Sirius," she offered, curling her legs under the desk she perched on. They'd found Snape deep in the dungeon laboratories of Hogwarts, working over a large bubbling silver cauldron. Sirius didn't recognise the azure liquid softly roiling over the silver flames, though he was sure Rowan knew its name, its effect, and most likely the preparation and dosage of every ingredient in it. Snape continued to monitor his concoction even as Rowan outlined her plan to the both of them.

"And I assume you have a dubious and faintly suicidal scheme already planned out for accomplishing this?" Snape asked, adding a handful of lacy insect wings to the cauldron and stirring three times.

Rowan smiled beatifically at him and answered levelly. "Actually, Severus, I do. Sirius will be going as you."

Their reactions were . . . amusing to say the least. Sirius didn't say anything for almost a full minute, though his jaw worked up and down like a gaping fish. Snape dropped the entire vial of liquid mercury he held into the cauldron, turning the azure liquid a violent gold that frothed and steamed until Rowan dived for a shelf and pitched a jewelled tortoise shell into the mixture. It stilled immediately, settling into a glossy black colour.

Sirius fought his way out of the horrified shock gripping him as he heard Snape snarling. "By the Founders, Myfanwy, what possessed you to think up this insanity? You fully intend to commit dual suicide at this soiree, don't you?"

"This is not suicide," Sirius bit out darkly, his brain finally catching up with his mate's reasoning. Even he had to admit it was dangerous, but sound. More importantly, it was simple enough to work. "This is springing their trap before they have time to set it properly. It's absolutely positive there's another layer we can't see yet. We're attempting to pre-empt whatever clever little mousetrap that miserable rat set for us!"

"How can you be so sure there is another layer?" Snape asked, curiosity tinting his voice as Rowan confirmed Sirius's reasoning with a nod. "They dangle Black's freedom in front of you and lure you away from the safety of Hogwarts, then capture you and use you both as bait for Potter. It's exactly the sort of trap Lucius Malfoy would set!"

Rowan shook her head. "I know how Peter Pettigrew thinks, and it's not that simple," she stated. "He may have been a bit slower than James or Sirius with his studies, but he was not stupid, and he knew how to scheme. More than that, Lucius won't expect _your _presence, Severus," she pointed out. "And he definitely won't expect 'you' to turn on him," Rowan smirked. "You're a loyal Death Eater, remember?"

Sirius watched Snape fidget uncomfortably. Chances were that Voldemort would forgive Snape, but not after a round of torture for his doppelganger's betrayal. Then Sirius realised _how, _exactly, she intended to turn him into irritability incarnate and felt the blood drain from his face. Polyjuice Potion. "I am _not _drinking anything that has bits of Snape in it!" he exclaimed in disgust.

"You will if you want Wormtail, love." Rowan stated coolly, not the least bit put out by his epiphany. Sirius grumbled darkly.

"Like I _want_ you infesting my image, Black?" Snape's eyes flashed.

"Worried I might actually wash your hair?" Sirius shot back.

Snape glared hatefully at Sirius, but turned back to Rowan with an oily smile. "You forget that Polyjuice potion takes a month to brew, Rowan Myfanwy. We don't have a month."

"I keep some on hand," she shrugged. "In the cabinet with the Veritaserum and my stock of medical potions. It . . . came in useful to keep certain potions on hand during the last war. Especially the more time consuming ones."

Snape stayed silent for a long moment, obviously weighing the scheme and deciding whether or not to co-operate. "You would have been an excellent Slytherin, Rowan Myfanwy," Snape told her at last, grudging approval creeping into his voice. "It's a shame you were wasted on the Gryffindors."

~*~*~*~

My computer crashed completely, so I had to recoup from that before I could write up this chapter! That's why it's so short. That and I liked this ending. I apologise, but it was a short chapter or a long Authors Note explaining another week's delay.

Nataly Ravenlock: I did indeed review "Second Chances"! I haven't got back to finish and review it just yet because my computer is a sulky brat.

Imhotep: working on it. There's lots to be done yet, and like it or not, Sirius and Rowan play a major role in it. This story isn't a Harry-fest. I never intended it to be. I ask that you trust me on this. Harry gets to save the day in the end.

Lana Potter: Thank you! The Malfoys are in for it, to say the least . . .

Psychotic Disillusions: I don't do all that many tender moments, so indulge me. :) Chaos and mayhem come later.

'nigma: *chokes on glitter* Well, if I saw you more often . . . Truly, I thought you were sick of this story and my inane ramblings! I stand corrected. You get first dibs now!

Celtic Ember: Because Sock-stealing Ginny belongs to her and she may not wish to share with a less talented author?

Wellduh: You'll see.

Lily Evans: Why would I do that? You'll find out, just not yet. :)

Julephenia: Oh, the Myfanwys are VERY pure blood. They're just not quite human, but that makes their magic stronger. There hasn't been a Squib or Muggle in that line for an eon.

Lia Snowstar: good luck on your Exams! Moony's opinion? I don't know. You get into his head in the sequel, but not here I don't think.

Crydwyn: I _hate _it when that happens to me! My goal is to finish this story by the end of July, though, so you don't have _that _long of a wait!

harry potter maniac: Quick as I can!

Lyndsi: Thank you very much! Ron and Hermione don't seem to feature as much as I thought they would in the beginning! I'm afraid it looks like mostly Harry and Ginny from here on out. We'll see what comes!


	31. Kindred Spirits

Chapter 29 - Kindred Spirits

~*~*~*~

"Why'd you have to drag us out of bed so early love?" Sirius complained grumpily to Rowan as they walked through the halls of Hogwarts. He wasn't a morning person. The problem was compounded when he wasn't allowed to have breakfast. It didn't help that Rowan refused to tell him and Remus where they were going.

"And why did you want both of us along?" Remus asked curiously.

"Need, actually," Rowan corrected with an enigmatic smile. "Don't worry, we're almost there."

The two Marauders looked at each other and shrugged as she led them to the portrait concealing the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, gave the password, and stepped inside. 

Harry and Ron were bent over a game of chess by the window and looked up at the three adults in curiosity when they entered the room. Without even pausing to wave, Rowan disappeared up the stair to the boys' dormitories.

Sirius and Remus watched her ascend the stairs in confusion. Rowan reappeared on the landing, and looked down at Moony and Padfoot.

"Get up here, you two."

"What is she up to?" Remus whispered to Sirius as they climbed the stone steps.

"You've got me, brother," Sirius shrugged. He glanced at Rowan's back and wondered if, just maybe, her demonic side was starting to show through. Demons loved to play confusing jokes, didn't they?

"She is sane, right?" Remus asked after a moment.

"Was she ever?"

~*~

Sirius could sense Moony standing right behind him as he pushed open the door to the seventh-year dormitory. The Weasley twins stood in the middle of the room looking shocked. Even Professor McGonagall probably didn't usually march right into their dormitory. Rowan, however, was kneeling in front of a large chest and pulling out an array of items.

The twins watched her apprehensively, but didn't say anything.

Sirius smiled at the twin's expressions. He knew that if a teacher had stormed into his room during his Hogwarts years, he'd be much more than shocked. He'd be doing his best to distract the teacher, while the others managed to hide any "questionable" items.

"Okay, other than terrifying the Weasley twins, what are you up to?"

Rowan stood brushing her robes off. She picked up some parchment order forms from a convenient stack on a bedside table and handed one to both the adult wizards. "I've decided on our distraction. What do you think?"

"'Weasley's Wizard Wheezes'?" Remus read from the order form he held. Sirius glanced over the descriptions and gave a low whistle.

"Almost a better selection than Zonko's," Sirius raised an eyebrow at the twins and felt a gleeful grin creep across his face and his eyes brighten with mischief. "Please tell me you two intend to market these. If they're as good as they look . . ." He glanced, almost reverently, at the collection of pranks on the floor. He grinned mischievously and looked at Moony. "Where should we try first? Snape's dungeon or Filch's office?"

Moony grinned back. "That's not very responsible, you know. Shouldn't we be setting an example?"

"Since when are you James?" Sirius shot back. "We are setting an example. Besides school isn't in session at the moment. And neither of us are teachers."

"Sirius, do not encourage them!" Rowan laughed, gesturing toward the wide-eyed twins. Apparently seeing their ex-professor and Sirius Black behave like a pair of schoolboy pranksters was something of a shock. "James was a worse delinquent than either of you! He only looked responsible and mature. Besides, you can't waste these. We need them for later."

"We'd only need to test a few to see that they work properly, love!" Sirius protested. "And I'll stop acting like James when you stop impersonating Lily."

"I am not . . ." Rowan started, then checked herself and blushed and laughed. "All right, touché, I'll stop scolding."

"Um . . . who was 'James'?" George finally managed to ask, looking nervous. Probably from seeing three 'respectable' adults act like normal people. Sirius caught Rowan's eye and then glanced toward Remus. Harry had told them that the twins knew of the Marauders. Remus shrugged and nodded his permission.

"Harry's dad, James Potter," Sirius answered levelly. "Though you'd probably know him better as 'Prongs'."

The twin's jaws dropped, then they looked as though Christmas had come early. "Prongs?" Fred asked breathlessly. "You knew the Marauders?"

Sirius fought back laughter and decided not to reveal any more. "We went to Hogwarts together, yes," he answered mildly. "Actually we need your help in a rather delicate matter."

The twins looked up at Sirius in awe and nodded their heads eagerly. Obviously even being an acquaitance of the Marauders was enough to make them view Sirius as a near deity. "You see, Rowan and I are joining the Malfoys for tea and it's only polite that we bring along a few gifts." Sirius gestured towards the pile of pranks on the floor. "You don't mind helping out, do you?"

The twins blinked in surprise for several seconds before identical sly grins broke out over their faces. "You're planning to sneak into Malfoy Manor and crash their party?"

"We're not 'crashing' it. We were invited and will enter through the front door," Rowan corrected primly. "We're 'providing entertainment' or 'creating a distraction', depending on your point of view," she added thoughtfully. "Mad-Eye and Severus insist it's a distraction."

"Actually, Snape says we'll just be making a mess," Sirius commented with a roguish grin. Remus sniggered. Snape's actual words had been `creating a mess that won't even work.' Snape had also grumbled about having to clean up after their attempted fiasco.

The twins eagerly helped plan the distaraction. The five of them worked over possible devices and uses for them for another twenty minutes before coming to a tentative consensus. Rowan finally wrote down her vault number for the twins while Sirius and Remus gathered up a small armful of joke items and an extra catalogue each for further perusal. Rowan gave them a decidedly suspicious look, but refrained from commenting and thanked the twins for their help.

Fred and George talked quietly for a moment and then looked back at Sirius. "If there's any stories you have about the Marauders..."

Sirius nodded his head. "I might be able to dredge a few memories up. I'll owl you with anything that I might remember." He could already think of three different pranks to tell them, and if the twins decided to use them in Snape's class. Well, that would only be for the better, wouldn't it?

~*~

"Just a minute," Harry murmured, levering himself out of his chair and following the retreating form of Sirius as he, Rowan and Remus re-emerged from the boys' dormitory.

"Check-mate," Ron said behind him, followed by the crash-clink of Harry's king being destroyed.

"Sirius?" Harry asked tentatively, stopping the older wizard just after he stepped out the portrait hole. Sirius turned and smiled in greeting to his godson. Harry didn't smile much in return. "Do you think I could speak with you?"

Rowan silently relieved Sirius of his load, surreptitiously slipping him an old bronze key and giving Harry an encouraging smile before leaving with Remus.

Sirius looked after her fondly for a moment before pocketing the key. "Is anything wrong Harry?"

Harry suddenly found he didn't know what to say even as Sirius led the way toward Professor Myfanwy's office. He knew about the decision for Rowan and Sirius to accept the Malfoy's invitation on New Years Eve, of course. However, Harry suspected they were taking the risk more for him than for Sirius or even for Rowan. In hiding or not, Sirius and Rowan could be together. Even if they couldn't leave Hogwarts, there were many places for Sirius to hide from the beleaguered Ministry Aurors. 

Harry, however, had to stay with Dursleys. The Ministry kept a close watch on him and would never agree to release the "Boy Who Lived" into the hands of a convicted murderer, a werewolf, or a witch with known attachments to both. However, if Sirius were cleared, they would have no choice. Harry could leave the Dursleys and live with his godfather. He suspected this, but couldn't decide how to ask Sirius if he was right and - though she was very kind to him - he didn't think he knew Rowan well enough yet.

Sirius unlocked the heavy wooden door and led Harry into the cosy warmth of the office. Harry still said nothing as Sirius crossed to a tall, decorative urn beside the fireplace and fished out a handful of sugar quills and chocolate frogs.

"Worried about something, Harry?" Sirius prompted gently, offering the sweets to Harry. Harry sighed, accepted a sugar quill and began to worry off the nib.

"I want you to come back," he admitted finally, knowing it sounded stupid. Sirius blinked, whatever he'd been expecting, this, obviously, wasn't it.

"You're worried about New Years then?"

"It's a trap, you said so yourself! So did Rowan! I . . ."

"You don't want to lose us?" Sirius gently finished for him when Harry choked. Harry nodded.

"I was hoping that we'd . . . um, be a family," Harry admitted, feeling rather silly. He'd never forget coming down to the tree early on Christmas morning and sitting between Rowan and Sirius as he attacked a horde of presents that easily rivalled Dudley's. For the first time in his life, he felt what it was to have a family of his own around him. Finally he had something like parents, an aunt and uncle in the form of Remus and Morgaine, and even a grandfather watching from the confines of a nearby armchair as well as his friends. He desperately didn't want to lose that, even though he knew he would as soon as the holidays ended and Sirius returned to hiding.

Sirius awkwardly laid a hand on Harry's shoulder. "You're still too thin," he commented before clearing his throat. "You told me, just after the . . . incident in the Shrieking Shack you'd consider leaving your Aunt and Uncle. If you want another home, Harry . . . once my name is cleared, I'd be honoured if you'd still consider it."

"With you and Rowan?" Harry asked, forcing his face to stay neutral. Sirius watched him guardedly as he answered.

"Yes."

Harry considered this for a moment before smiling. "When can I move in?"

~*~*~*~


	32. The Arrival of Ger

Dedicated to Celtic Ember, for putting up with me and writing part of this first scene when I was in desperate need of help! There are several people out there that put up with my chapterly nervous breakdowns (you know who you are) and I'm immensely grateful to them all!

Chapter 30 – The Arrival of Ger

~*~*~*~

"Brilliant!" Fred exclaimed, clapping Harry on the back when he re-entered the Common Room.

"Why didn't you tell us Prongs was your dad, eh?" George added glaring at the smaller boy before breaking into a grin. "That's bloody brilliant, Harry! No wonder you find so much trouble!"

Harry ducked away from them looking mildly disgruntled. "I don't find trouble, it finds me!" he protested. "And I didn't know who the Marauders were until third year, either!"

"You've known for two years?" Fred demanded over the top of George.

"How did you two find out, anyway?" Ron asked, looking up from a textbook. Hermione, sitting next to him and sharing the tome, looked up as well.

"Black told us, that's how," Fred grinned. "He and Myfanwy are testing out some of our joke items at the Malfoy's tonight."

"Serious business and all," George added gravely. "We wanted to make sure they could handle it."

"Come off it, George. You wanted to make sure Sirius and Myfanwy could a handle a few pranks?" Harry asked sceptically. He'd just discovered he wouldn't be returning to the Dursleys in the summer, but living with his godfather, as long as Sirius survived. However, Sirius was going to the Malfoys in a few hours and could be captured or killed by either the Aurors or the Death Eaters in attendance. The thought didn't exactly inspire confidence and Harry felt a trickle of panic thread through his belly.

"So, Harry old chap, why didn't you tell us, eh?" Fred asked, elbowing him and knocking his glasses askew.

"It never came up," Harry shrugged, feeling slightly exasperated with the twins as they began to pester him for more information. Ron watched them, looking interested. He also very carefully started to withdraw from the table. Hermione sighed and returned to her book. Ginny, curled comfortably near the fire, never bothered to look up.

"How did you find out, anyway?" George wondered. "And what made you think we wouldn't want to know?"

"And how did Black and Lupin know? What other deep dark secrets is our ickle boy wonder hiding? Huh?" Fred needled.

Harry sighed in exasperation and turned on the twins. "If you really want to know, talk to Sirius! He's Padfoot!" 

"Oh come off it, Harry," George scoffed with a grin. "Next you'll tell us Lupin is Moony and Myfanwy is Wormtail!"

"Lupin is Moony. Professor Myfanwy wasn't part of the Marauders," Ginny corrected absently from behind her magazine. Everyone looked at her, startled.

"How do you know that, Ginny?" Harry asked quietly. Ginny set her magazine aside and stretched slightly.

"Figured it out," she shrugged. "Professor Lupin is "Moony" because he's a werewolf, and no one in their right mind would call a unicorn 'Wormtail'." She smiled sweetly at Harry. "Am I right?"

"Yeah, you are," he told her, nodding in surprise, "and they're going to get Wormtail tonight." Harry strode up to his dormitory, leaving a trio of startled redheads in his wake.

~*~

Sirius waited uncomfortably in the entrance hall, leaning against the tall doorframe and watching the sunset over the snowy grounds of Hogwarts. He fidgeted, pulling on the rich fabric of his dress robes. Sirius didn't really enjoy wearing dress robes, though he'd tolerated them for most of his life. He most certainly didn't like the idea of wearing them and being forced to look like Snape as well. The dress robes he could tolerate. Being turned into Snape was something he would avoid for as long as humanly possible.

The only consolation was that Morgaine - who'd bought the robes for him in London - had impeccable taste. She'd chosen non-itchy black velvet lined with emerald silk and silver embroidery. Sirius thought he looked like a Slytherin, but was happy that he didn't look like a Muggle priest.

A cloaked figure suddenly appeared on the castle steps and Sirius immediately transformed and slipped into the shadows. The figure slipped through the door, pulled back the fur-trimmed hood of the heavy winter cloak with one hand and shook out a short mane of ebony hair. A silver signet ring on the hand caught Sirius's attention. A stylised "M" glinted on the ring's surface and Sirius recognised it. Rowan wore the same ring, but made of platinum. Only two Myfanwy men existed and the young man standing in the entrance hall couldn't be older than twenty-five. This then, was Gervaine Myfanwy, better known as Ger.

Ger had the raven black hair and sharp blue eyes that seemed to be trademarks of the Myfanwy name, and had finally grown into his own. He was tall, and definitely more built than Sirius after the older man's incarceration. Tooled leather bands circled Ger's forearms under pure white robes and a dark winter cloak. White robes Sirius realised sharply, which meant Ger Myfanwy worked as an Auror for the Department of Mysteries.

Padfoot cringed further into concealment and the slight movement caught Ger's eye. The Auror turned toward the large black dog and smiled when he saw him. Ger kneeled and whistled softly, stretching out a hand for Padfoot to smell. Knowing it would be very un-dog-like to refuse the greeting, Padfoot inched forward and obediently smelled Ger's hand.

Sirius almost missed the slight flicker of a wand being drawn and Ger's whispered words as an internal wrench suddenly forced him out of his animal form. Sirius Black found himself gasping slightly on the stone floor, balling his hands into fists as he looked up to see Ger's wand trained squarely on him.

"Sirius Black," Ger greeted coldly, inclining his head. "Up please." Sirius climbed carefully to his feet, not bothering to brush off his robes. Far from the twelve-year-old Ravenclaw Sirius remembered Ger stood eye to eye with Sirius now and probably weighed a good fifty pounds of muscle more even with his slender build.

Ger circled Sirius with the easy, measured steps of a sleek cat, watching him appraisingly. "You've been difficult to capture," he noted clinically. "A full two years away from Azkaban and working on a third. You're impressive, Sirius."

"Looking for points with the Department, Ger?" Sirius asked coolly. 

"Oh, I don't need them," Ger laughed. Something in Sirius refused to accept the situation. They were so very close to unveiling Wormtail's betrayal and fixing everything! That the young boy who'd so idolised his almost-brother-in-law appeared to cold-bloodedly destroy everything felt supremely unfair. Another part of him cynically retorted that life was very rarely fair. 

"And I wouldn't anyway." Ger continued smoothly. "Rowan would probably sic a dragon on me." Sirius blinked, trying to process this last phrase. Then he noticed Ger's devilish smile right before the younger man clapped him on the back and pulled him into a tight hug. "Welcome back, Sirius."

"No, Ger, I think I'd rather deal with you on my own," Rowan's voice commented coldly. The two men started and turned to see Rowan standing, arms crossed, at the bottom of the stairway, the ever-present Orion sitting neatly at her feet. She looked utterly furious, and incredibly beautiful.

"Rowan!" Ger yelped, paling noticeably. "I didn't know you'd come down yet!"

"Obviously," she nodded, gliding forward and pinning her younger brother with a dark look. Sirius noticed the goblet she held in her hand and wrinkled his nose.

"You're absolutely sure this is necessary?" The goblet she handed him looked more like the contents of a demented child's colouring experiment than the essence of Severus Snape. "You used his hair, didn't you?" he grumbled, staring at the mixture with utter distaste and suspicion.

Rowan sighed. "What did you want me to use, toenail clippings? Hair is a less repulsive body part than most others, Sirius!"

Sirius shuddered and decided he really didn't need that image.

"You should see your face, Sirius!" Ger chortled. Sirius schooled his features and raised an eyebrow as Ger continued. "Even on the off chance the Death Eaters believe you're Voldemort's man, the Aurors definitely will and they'll attack you on sight. That's why I'm here. I won't attack you on sight."

"That was the original idea, anyway," Rowan commented archly. Ger looked ready to protest, but she cut him off with a glare. "I'll deal with you later, Ger," she promised darkly.

Ger winced. Sirius smiled in amusement at them before taking a deep breath and gulping down the potion in two large swallows. Almost immediately he felt his insides twist and realign themselves into the lean form of Severus Snape.

A raven, one easily as large as a hawk, poked its head curiously out of Ger's cloak and clacked its beak at Sirius. "Snape," it croaked, then cocked its head curiously. "Sirius?"

Ger and Rowan sniggered. "Yes, Mordecai, that's Sirius," Ger assured the bird, pulling him gently out of the heavy cloak's folds. Mordecai fluffed his dark feathers before flapping noisily up to Ger's shoulder. He again looked at Sirius, first out of one eye, then the other, as though he didn't quite believe Sirius's appearance yet and finally cackled.

"Rat," Mordecai concluded.

Sirius reached up to stroke the bird's crest with a dark chuckle. "I always liked this raven, Ger, glad to see you still have him."

"Ready to leave?" Rowan asked, turning to Sirius.

"Miss Myfanwy, I daresay Potter would be disappointed if we didn't make a final appearance before leaving," he admonished, then grinned, ruining the impersonation. "Besides, I want to see what Harry will say when 'Snape' walks in to Gryffindor Tower."

Rowan laughed brightly, took the empty goblet and tossed it Ger before wrapping an arm around Sirius's waist. "You're enjoying this too much," she accused teasingly and pulled a metal flask from her robes. "You'd better carry this." She handed him the flask and Sirius shook it in curiosity.

"What is it?"

"Two more doses," she answered. "That gives us three hours."

"And if you're not back in three hours?" Ger asked, stroking Mordecai. Rowan stopped and looked at her younger brother gravely.

"That doesn't bear thinking about."

~*~

Harry stared out the window pensively. Full night had fallen and the snowy grounds were bathed in a soft moon glow. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Hermione casting concerned glances at him from over her book. Ron idly played with a deck of Exploding Snap cards. Ginny merely watched Harry worriedly from her corner armchair, her book lying forgotten in her lap.

"Potter!" Snape's sharp voice cracked through the silence of the common room. Ron's cards detonated spectacularly and Hermione gave a little shriek. Harry turned and stumbled back, alarmed to find his hook-nosed Potions professor looming over him like an overgrown crow.

Snape held up a sparking Filibuster firework. "I suspect that this is yours, Potter. I found it waiting for me in my desk this evening."

Harry tried to deny it, but Snape ignored him and continued. "Just like your father," he snarled silkily. The sparking firework whizzed out of Snape's hand in a colorful burst and exploded near the ceiling. "Continually flaunting my authority!" Harry stared, wide-eyed, at Snape, only dimly registering that Snape, Head of Slytherin, had no business in Gryffindor Tower.

Then a very odd thing happened. Snape's face smiled a friendly, mischievous smile, something Harry was sure had never appeared on it before. He not only smiled but he started laughing! Harry looked around in confusion and saw Rowan and a younger wizard with a huge raven on his shoulder standing near the portrait hole, laughing.

"That's enough teasing Sirius," Rowan laughed, crossing to them and lightly kissing Snape on the mouth. Harry's mind reeled. Snape pulled back roughly and stared at her in horror. Harry heard a thud as Hermione dropped her book, followed by a bout of coughing. Harry looked over to see Ron leaning over pounding Hermione on the back.

Ger levered himself away from the doorway and walked over to Hermione, making the enormous raven on his shoulder open its wings slightly for balance. He knelt down and picked up her book. "I think you two nearly killed one of your students from shock Sirius," he grinned, handing the book back to Hermione. "Sorry about that. Sirius is something of a bonehead."

Hermione nodded distantly, but didn't reply.

"Are you all right?" Ger pressed gently. Hermione nodded again. Ron looked at and Harry shrugged. It wasn't like Hermione to be so quiet. Though her expression reminded him of the nervous blush Ron had always sported around Fleur Delacour the year before.

Then it hit him as Ger attempted to coax a full sentence out of the pole-axed teenager. Ger Myfanwy was part veela! Harry chanced a look at Ginny and saw her watching the whole thing with an amused half-smile. Harry felt an unexplainably odd sense of relief.

Everyone looked up as Remus Lupin stepped through the portrait hole and frowned slightly. "I thought you two had already left," he told Rowan and Sirius-now-Snape. Then he noticed the younger wizard still kneeling near Hermione and blinked in surprise. "Ger! When did you get here?" He glanced nervously toward 

Ger smiled, rose to his feet and crossed the room to pull the older werewolf into a rough embrace. "I just arrived." Remus glanced nervously toward Rowan and Sirius and looked askance at them. Ger caught the look and grinned. "I already know. _Everything_." His face sobered. "Though I don't agree with this plan, I'm here to take custody of Pettigrew."

"Then you know Sirius is . . ." Harry began.

Ger nodded and smiled devilishly. "Standing ten feet from me, but as one Severus Snape. And innocent of the murders he was imprisoned for. Yes I know."

"Ger is an Auror for the Department of Mysteries, Harry," Remus supplied, apparently seeing Harry's confusion.

"You're an Unspeakable?" Ron's jaw dropped as he looked over at Ger with admiration. Ger gave Ron a small bow. "Wicked!"

~*~*~*~

Hermmes: Yes, I have read Robert Jordan, but not for about five years. And thank you so much! That's a wonderful compliment!

Confuzzler: Thank you.

Whiterose: They are very playful. It's a nice change from "hanging on to sanity by my fingernails". It is officially New Years Eve, and you shall see. ;)

Sonata: FF.net has been an absolute snipe, I agree! Thank you.

Cnorth: all fixed!

Crydwn: Yeah, it's a bit suicidal. But they want Harry to have a better life from here on out and he can't just disappear to parts unknown during the summer.

Landersh: *blushes* thanks.

July 2002


	33. Shadow Games

Chapter 31 – Shadow Games

~*~*~*~

"Do you really think it was fair of you to leave your brother in that situation?" Sirius asked as he and Rowan stepped out of Gryffindor Tower and into the moonlight halls of Hogwarts. "You left him in there with two pre-teen females!"

"I'm not worried. Ger knows to behave himself," Rowan shrugged idly. 

"Ger is not the one I'm worried about behaving himself," Sirius murmured.

"Ginny has someone else on her mind and Hermione is very practical most of the time." Rowan smiled secretively and casually linked her arm with Sirius as though they were just a normal couple out for a holiday stroll. Sirius winced internally at the gossip that could appear later among the ghosts, and, for once in his life, sincerely hoped Rowan didn't kiss him again. It was quite bad enough she would be spending the entire evening with 'Severus Snape'. "Hermione is still discovering and this is not the sort of research one can do in a book."

"You seem to do well enough," Sirius grinned. "For a bookworm."

"_I _had an excellent tutor," Rowan winked cheekily at him.

They had almost made it out the door before Dumbledore suddenly exited an abandoned classroom and spotted them. "Ah, there you are!" His eyes twinkled merrily as he watched the pair stroll closer. "Rowan, if I might have a word?"

Rowan frowned in confusion, but nodded and joined Dumbledore as he stepped back into the classroom. Dumbledore closed the door behind firmly behind them, leaving Sirius standing uncomfortably in the corridor.

Sirius tried listening through the thick wood of the door (he was, after all, still Padfoot) and spent several minutes trying to dispel a horrible ringing in his ears. Apparently, Dumbledore had warded the door against eavesdropping as well as shutting it in Sirius's face. Dumbledore, he thought wryly, knew him far too well.

Rowan re-emerged several long minutes later and looked about for him. Sirius unfolded himself from his spot against the opposite wall and joined her.

"Is everything all right, Rowan?" He asked in concern.

"Everything's fine," she assured him casually. "Let's go."

"Are you sure?" Sirius pressed sceptically, having to jog slightly to keep up as she swept off toward the front door. He hated being out of the loop.

"Department business, Sirius." she answered flatly. Sirius immediately let the subject drop. 'Department business' meant 'Department of Mysteries' business. There was a very good reason Rowan nearly always wore white.

~*~

Malfoy Manor stood stark and grey at the very crest of a tall hill. _In a perfect position to gaze down at the peasantry,_ Sirius thought darkly as he assisted Rowan into an ornately carved sleigh pulled by an enormous pair of white stags.

Rowan made a sound of disgust and pushed something to one corner of the sleigh and drawing her fur-lined cloak closer. Sirius frowned as he jumped up beside her. Rowan pointed distastefully at the large mound of fur at their feet. "Wolf pelt," she shuddered slightly as Sirius drew her carefully into his arms. "I . . . don't like wolf fur." She looked up and smiled weakly. "Silly, isn't it? I just keep imagining Remus or some of the others . . ." her voice trailed of as their sleigh lurched forward, gliding swiftly over the snowy road.

Sirius fingered one of the "party favours" in his pocket and steeled himself for the part he was about to play. Sirius had attended hundreds of formal events, but switching over from Renowned Escapee to Wizarding Socialite again wasn't going to be easy. If he was honest with himself, Sirius admitted that the idea of plunging into the serpent's nest terrified him. Death Eaters and Aurors surrounded him on both sides and he'd taken the guise of someone both groups despised: Severus Snape, spy and traitor extraordinaire.

The only way he'd manage to garner more hate from the people in the room would be to come as Sirius Black. Sirius had a very bad feeling about this.

"Out of curiosity, Rowan, how do you intend to find Wormtail once we're in?" 

Rowan responded by pulling a slender vial of Veritaserum out of her robes. "Malfoy knows where he is. We'll ask."

~*~

As Sirius reached up to assist Rowan in disembarking their sleigh, Lucius Malfoy swept forward, his pristine white and gold robes billowing about him elegantly and bowed over Rowan's regally extended hand.

"Ah, Miss Myfanwy!" Malfoy oozed. "Welcome to Malfoy Manor," Rowan nodded, a cool smile touching her lips.

"Of course. How could I turn down such an auspicious invitation? And I believe you know Severus Snape, my colleague at Hogwarts and escort for the evening," Rowan gestured to Sirius, who nodded coolly.

Surprise flickered across Malfoy's face momentarily, before it settled back into a benignly arrogant mask. Sirius, however, still caught the subtle glitter of calculation in his pale eyes.

With a few more pleasantries, their host released them both into the festivities beyond. Every inch of the ancient manor fairly gleamed with enchanted light and decorations. Real fairies hovered about like twinkling stars. Enchanted streamers undulated across the ceiling like swimming snakes.

Sirius claimed two slender glasses from a floating tray and offered one to Rowan. "Malfoy's not drinking anything yet," he muttered, hiding it with a feigned sip. "We need another target." Rowan kept her face carefully neutral and scanned over the milling crowd. 

Reminded of drinking, Sirius's hand strayed to the small flask secreted in his sleeve. He'd swallowed another dose during their brief sleigh ride, leaving only one more, spare dose and just under two hours to complete their mission.

"Rowan Myfanwy!" A cultured male voice asked with surprise. Rowan turned slightly at her name and the voice came even closer. "Why it is! Back in England after so long!"

Rowan broke away from Sirius to greet the newcomer with a radiant smile. "Niles! I didn't know you'd be here! This is Professor Severus Snape, a colleague of mine at Hogwarts," she introduced, gesturing Sirius closer. Sirius stepped much closer, biting back a growl and wishing heartily that Rowan wasn't quite so nice to full idiots. 

Severus Snape, of course, wouldn't remember Niles Davenport; he'd never had much to do with any of the Ravenclaws, even the shadier ones. Sirius Black, however, remembered him in all his bleached and pasty glory. He also remembered how Davenport had, at one time, considered himself a better match for the young heiress of the Myfanwy clan than the wild Sirius Black.

"Pleasure," Davenport nodded briefly, barely glancing at the other man before turning his full attention back to Rowan and reaching out to appropriate her free hand. Sirius bristled. "I'm so glad to see you back in civilisation and out of the wilds!" Davenport continued. "Dear Merlin, that must have been dreadful!"

"Japan and the United States is hardly 'uncivilised', Niles!" Rowan laughed. "They have wands and broomsticks just like we do here!"

"Yet the Americans actually fancy _Quodpot _(of all things) and zoom about on those awful mechanical contraptions," Davenport shook his head in amazement. "And the Orient? You always were quite the adventurous one, Rowan! You seem to truly enjoy your jaunts among the savages!"

Rowan said nothing and took another sip of her drink. Davenport took this as acceptance of his opinion and smiled in triumph. He apparently thought he was getting somewhere with the enigmatic witch and moved in for the kill. "Now that you're home, why don't you join me for a weekend at my house in Cornwall, Rowan? It's not as fine as CaerMyrddin, of course, but I think you'd find it enjoyable."

That wouldn't do at all! Sirius cursed not having his own body and face - the rumour mill would be abuzz with this by morning - and wrapped a proprietary arm around his mate's waist before she could answer. "Classes will keep us both quite busy until the end of the term, Davenport. The students take a great deal of supervision. I'm sure you understand." On the other hand, Sirius thought, Snape's face was pretty good for intimidating sneers. "Now, Rowan, we have business to attend to elsewhere. I'm sure Niles," Sirius all but spat the name, "understands."

"That wasn't very elegant you know," Rowan observed quietly as Sirius led them to the other side of the massive ballroom, leaving a rather shocked looking wizard behind.

"How in Merlin's name do you stand that enormous git of a person?" Sirius demanded in an undertone as he stalked out onto a deserted balcony curtained off for privacy from the main ballroom. Rowan cast a quick Silencing charm and walked over to perch on the marble railing.

"You're jealous of Niles?" she asked, gentle amusement tingeing her voice.

"I didn't like the way he was looking at you," Sirius bit out tightly. Rowan frowned at him

"We are friends and nothing more!" she sighed in frustration. "Can't I speak with him without you hovering like a vulture?"

"He has more than friendship on his mind!" Sirius growled severely. "_That_ is why I 'hover like a vulture', as you so quaintly put it!"

"Then you can put your hovering to use and stalk Narcissa while I do a bit of constructive espionage." Rowan produced the slender vial from her robes and slipped it into his hand. "Lucius tells Narcissa everything and she rules this house as surely as he does. She probably knows exactly where our friend lurks."

She threaded her fingers with his briefly. "Just ignore Niles, Sirius, I know he's a bit pompous, but he's harmless."

"I still don't like him," Sirius grumbled, still feeling territorial, but somewhat appeased by the kiss.

"I don't expect you to," she smiled. Then she sobered and became businesslike again. "Twenty minutes, beloved. I suggest cornering Narcissa and bringing her a fresh drink."

Sirius nodded in understanding. "I'll find you when I'm finished. Be careful, Rowan. Stay safe."

"I'm always careful," Rowan chided before sweeping back into the main ballroom and disappearing, a slender wraith of crimson and gold.

~*~

Sirius' cold glare swept the ballroom. Lucius Malfoy was nowhere in sight. He stopped scanning the room when his eyes lit on Narcissa escaping into a curtained off alcove. He stalked back into the throng several moments later striving to look every inch the arrogant and self-important git that was Potions Master Severus Snape. 

Several well-timed glares deterred anyone else approaching for idle conversation. If only they knew, Sirius thought with an internal, slightly bitter smile. If they knew who really glared at them from behind Snape's face, they'd do more than shrink away. They'd flee in terror. Or curse him where he stood.

Sirius appropriated two fresh glasses and pushed his way through the crowd.

He finally reached Narcissa, surprisingly alone, in a candle-lit drawing room. Her lips lifted in a small, predatory smile as he entered and the slight tingle of a Silencing ward whispered across his skin. A thrill of worry rippled through Sirius. "Severus!" Narcissa swept forward and took his hands. "Your work went well. The master is pleased."

Sirius nodded his head solemnly. "I've not seen Wormtail yet. We wouldn't want Rowan to grow disinterested?"

Narcissa smiled a cold smile as she took a glass from Sirius. "That part of the plan is well in hand. We're only waiting for the second part to be successful."

Sirius paused as a cold shiver went down his body. "And which part is that?"

Narcissa's pale eyes narrowed speculatively. "Come now Severus," She emphasised the name mockingly. "We must keep our secrecy."

Narcissa took the proffered glass and then lifted it in the direction of Davenport. "You looked positively livid at Davenport's overtures." 

Sirius shrugged in a Snape-ish manner. "It wouldn't do to have our prey distracted."

"Of course not." Narcissa nodded her head in a cool manner. "But you had the look of a man in love. Did you once fancy her for yourself?" She picked a piece of lint off Sirius' robe. "It's been rumoured that the Potions Master of Hogwarts doesn't even have emotions beyond spite and jealousy. He's certainly not territorial or protective of his charges. How disappointing. To waste the only emotion you'll ever feel on a Gryffindor. 

"It's beneath you Severus." She lifted the glass to her lips. "Or should I say, Sirius?" 

Sirius stilled and lifted a carefully surprised eyebrow. There was no way Narcissa could know who he was, which meant she was guessing, hoping he would slip up. Sirius mustered a withering glare. "Do not insult me, Narcissa," he snarled, snatching his hand out of her grip at the insult. "Why would I have any use for that imbecilic Gryffindor?"

Narcissa smiled dangerously and circled him. "What use indeed," she purred. Sirius had the feeling she wasn't answering his question.

"It's a pity," Narcissa continued. "That Black went to Azkaban for a crime he didn't commit. Knowing that Rowan thought he was a traitor. I suppose Black fancied himself in love with her. The pain must've been excruciating."

Sirius' face tightened visibly. To deny Narcissa would mean revealing his true identity, betraying his love. Yet to pretend otherwise, it would be worse then his years in Azkaban. "Black deserved all he got. His reprehensible nature showed even back at Hogwarts."

"Reprehensible, yes, but also a rebel. To turn him to our side would be a great advantage. We are the same. It would take but a little shove to send you stumbling out of the light." 

"I don't think he would ever turn." It was the one statement that Sirius has said the whole evening that he and Snape could both agree with wholeheartedly. He backed away from Narcissa, not liking her closeness. 

"Perhaps he might consider it when we are successful in capturing Rowan. Black fancies himself in love with the little she-demon." Narcissa snorted delicately.

Sirius raised an eyebrow and folded his arms. "And you don't think he is?"

"There is no such thing as love," she snapped derisively. "There is only power. Emotions are merely a tool or a weakness."

Her eyes narrowed. "You don't understand me of course. You're too caught up in your emotions. But consider this Sirius. Justice is an illusion under the Ministry. Even with a full pardon you'll never be forgiven. You're already accepted as a follower of darkness. A normal life is impossible," Narcissa leaned closer, her lips beside his ear. "So live an exalted one," she whispered seductively. "Be one with us."

"I'm not Black." Sirius yelled vehemently. "Nor do I care to be related to anything closely related to that man. He is only a-"

A muffled curse cut off Sirius' retort.

Narcissa smiled as she finally took a drink from her glass. "Well then, I suppose you won't want to have anything to do with the Myfanwy's questioning then? Given how she's sullied herself by being Black's lover . . ." 

~*~

"My, my, but you're making a nuisance of yourself," a cold voice drawled. "And losing your touch." Rowan started and spun to find Lucius Malfoy standing behind her, a delighted sneer twisting his lips. Rowan glanced about quickly, checking the hall for any others and swore at herself silently. She'd let herself be distracted and now, Malfoy had her trapped.

She'd been systematically strewing 'surprises' throughout the dining area and now was searching deserted areas of the mansion for any sign of Pettigrew or Sirius. Sirius hadn't found her and the deadline had come and gone. Now, she was starting to worry. No Dementors pricked the edge of sharp senses, and no screaming had yet erupted, so she was fairly sure that the Ministry, at least, didn't know that Sirius Black lurked among them.

She bit off a growl as Malfoy suddenly strode forward and attempted to wrench her quickly drawn wand from her fingers and retaliated by lashing out at his face. Malfoy snarled as her blow snapped his face to one side and leaped back. "_Petrificus Totalus_!" Malfoy yelled, binding her firmly. Rowan noticed with satisfaction that he was bleeding from a sharp gash her nails had left across his cheek.

"Oh yes, quite amusing," Malfoy snarled, stalking closer and dabbing gingerly at the oozing wound. "Grow up, girl! I'd see you die screaming now if the Dark Lord didn't want you for a plaything."

Rowan shot Malfoy a venomous look. He replied with a slightly mocking smile and a lazily raised wand. "However, since the presence of you and your hellion of a mate is ordered and you are such a notable pair . . . _Imperio._"

~*~*~*~


	34. The Plot Coagulates

Chapter 32 – The Plot Coagulates

The twins retreated to their dormitory early into the evening, leaving the tense atmosphere of the common room behind. Harry watched from his window-well perch, splitting his attention between watching the snowy Hogwarts grounds and watching the other occupants of the common room.

Hermione was hunting through her bag for a misplaced book and quickly working herself into a state. Ginny and Ron were quietly playing chess in the corner and, apparently, even the chess pieces had caught on to the mood in the room. They weren't demolishing each other with their usual gusto.

Ger Myfanwy openly paced until Morgaine ordered him out, saying that if he was so keen to wear a hole in the stones he could do so on a patrol of the castle. He'd glared at his older sister's order, but quailed under the coolly unaffected look she'd turned on him and finally sighed and left quietly.

Morgaine herself seemed worried as well, though she did not pace. She sat in a large armchair instead, not touching her customary embroidery and instead opting to hide behind a large book. Orion crouched under her chair, watching everything. The only one that seemed immune to the sense of worry affecting the others was Professor Lupin.

Lupin lounged comfortably on one of the sofas with one foot propped up on the arm and the other dangling to the ground. He had a slender book propped open on his stomach and reached up every few minutes to turn a page. He, apparently, had perfect confidence in Sirius and Rowan's ability to keep themselves out of major trouble. Or get themselves out of it.

"Morgaine?" Remus raised his eyes to look at the younger Seeress. "Would you please help Hermione find her book before she spontaneously combusts or hexes someone?"

"Pardon?" Morgaine looked up from her book. "Help Hermione what, Moony?"

Lupin shot her an odd glance and repeated his request. Morgaine considered for a moment before nodding.

"I could try," she agreed.

"Try what?" Ron asked curiously. Hermione stopped her small demolition and looked up expectantly.

"I can use Divination to find the missing book," Morgaine explained offhandedly, reaching down to scratch Orion's ears as he undulated out from under her chair. "But I don't know Hermione that well yet, so I'm not completely sure it will work."

Hermione snorted in disbelief and Morgaine cocked her head in curiosity. 

"Hermione doesn't believe in Divination of any sort," Harry explained quietly from his perch.

"It all seems very woolly to me," Hermione nodded primly. "I don't see how staring at a lump of soggy leaves will help me find my book."

"Tea leaves aren't used for dowsing, Hermione," Morgaine laughed lightly.

"Of course, dowsing uses a pair of rods or a forked stick." Hermione sounded sceptical. Harry watched Remus bite his lip to stop himself from laughing.

"I know it doesn't sound very reliable, Hermione," Lupin chuckled. "But Morgaine is a Seeress and actually very good at this. False modesty aside, of course." He shot the veela-girl a look, "She and Rowan seem to share that trait."

Morgaine reddened in response before she smiled smugly. "It's in Ron's bag."

Ron's jaw dropped and Hermione lunged for his bag. After a moment of rooting Hermione produced a book with a lurid pink cover and squiggling gold lettering. "Ron Weasley, what were you doing with my book?" she shrieked, tucking the pilfered item away in her own bulging school bag. Ron's ears went pink, Ginny started laughing, and Harry felt himself smile slightly. That book looked familiar somehow, but he couldn't place it.

Ginny contained her giggles and offered to run Hermione's books back up to her dormitory. Hermione thanked Ginny then turned her full curiosity on Morgaine. "How did you do that?"

"Divination," Morgaine answered simply. 

"Divination doesn't work," Hermione protested. "Professor McGonagall even thinks so!"

"I believe that Professor McGonagall says that Divination is imprecise and that true seers are very rare," Morgaine corrected gently. "However, it's not all that imprecise if you know what you're doing and can admit when you don't see anything. Sometimes you don't," she shrugged. "Or it can be so misty it's nearly impossible to interpret. That doesn't make it less real. As far as real seers go, I can tell you that it's an inborn quality. Just like you can't teach someone to be a Parselmouth or a _Vox Veritas Argentum_, you can't really teach someone to be a seer."

"Then it really is possible to see the future?" Ron asked in amazement, his blue eyes very wide.

"Yes, of course," Morgaine nodded.

Harry narrowed his eyes as a memory flashed across his mind. "Morgaine?" he interrupted softly. "Is Professor Trelawney as Seer? Or Seeress, rather?"

"Seeress. And, no, Harry, she is not," Morgaine stated firmly.

"She predicted Wormtail would return to Voldemort and that Voldemort would return and both happened," Harry pointed out, ignoring the disapproving looks Hermione sent him.

Morgaine softened, but still shook her head. "That doesn't mean she's a seeress, Harry," she explained gently. "There are not enough seers available to train every hopeful or everyone with a small gift. A full Seer or Seeress must train their Eye for years before it comes under any sort of control. Even the Grandfather can't see clearly all of the time and he is undoubtedly the most powerful Seer alive."

"I can't do it. I can only see the present, not the future. Which means I can accurately predict where something or someone is at this very moment, but not where they will be next week or even in an hour."

"It still seems like a lot of guesswork," Hermione insisted, but her tone suggested that her determined abhorrence was wavering. "Professor Trelawney's predicted Harry's violent death scores of times, in more ways than I can count."

Harry's green eyes darkened, and he turned away at the mention of his violent death, but felt Morgaine's eyes flicker to him briefly in concern. "Harry's fate isn't decided yet, the future isn't fixed," she said firmly, a distinctly steel hint to her voice. "And neither Voldemort, nor Professor Trelawney will be the one to decide it."

Ginny came up behind him. "They'll be all right, you know," she said, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder in concern. Harry jumped slightly, but otherwise didn't respond and continued to stare out at the frosted grounds. Ginny sighed in frustration or determination, he couldn't tell which, and tried again. "Harry, you're scaring us!"

"I'm fine," he answered finally and turned, shifting into her touch as he reached up to cover her hand with his own.

Ginny moved a bit closer. "They'll be all right," she insisted. "Sirius has survived Azkaban and dementors. And Professor Myfanwy," Ginny paused not really sure how to continue. "Well, she's not one to be outsmarted by Malfoy. She's handled werewolves, vampires, and who knows what else trying to kill her. The Death Eaters and Ministry officials are nothing. They can't possibly be more devious than the twins or the Marauders."

Harry ignored her and drew even deeper into his quiet solitude. He knew she was probably right, but that didn't stop the worry gnawing at his stomach. He heard a peculiar growl-sigh from Ginny and she stretched up suddenly, captured Harry's face in her hands and kissed him.

Harry's eyes widened. Ginny was kissing him! He had only just begun to respond to the sudden sensations bubbling through him before the pleasant pressure of Ginny's lips disappeared and so did Ginny! She fled, eyes wide and face crimson at her actions, and retreated to the stairs and the abandoned girls' dormitory beyond that, safely beyond reach.

Harry heard Hermione mutter something that sounded suspiciously like "Took you long enough," before she stood, pulling a shell-shocked Ron along with her, and informed him that they were going for a walk around the lake.

Morgaine and Lupin shared a knowing smile and Lupin unfolded himself from his seat. "I think I'll visit the twins and see what other surprises they plan to spring on my classes," Lupin commented, heading for the dormitory stairs.

"They don't actually try anymore, do they?" Morgaine laughed.

"Oh, they try," he grinned, his greying brown hair falling boyishly over his eyes for a brief moment, allowing Moony to peak through.

Morgaine laughed again and turned back to her book. "Don't get in _too_ much trouble, Harry dear," she commented, idly turning a page. "But you should be a gentleman and check on Miss Weasley. She seemed upset."

Harry's mouth worked soundlessly for a moment before he found his voice and squeaked, "But she's in the girls' dormitory!"

"Yes, I noticed," Morgaine said, still reading. "However, if Ginny had wanted to escape she would have run _out_, rather than _up_. She doesn't know about the hidden passages in the dormitory, so she's waiting for you."

Harry started thinking was one of the strangest conversations he'd ever participated in. He wasn't sure what to say, so he said the first thing that came to his mind. "Um . . . where are the others?"

"Dumbledore is on an errand with Grandfather, Ger is most likely patrolling the castle and grounds. Hermione and Ron are most certainly busy and everyone else is probably in their rooms or offices," she responded, then finally raised her eyes. "Stop stalling, Harry. _Now_."

~*~

Harry paused for a moment outside the wooden door labelled "Fourth-Years" before knocking softly. "Come in, Hermione," Ginny's voice answered. Harry stifled a chuckle and pushed open the door.

"Um, I'm not Hermione," he said. Ginny's head shot up. The chocolate frog cards she held in her hands scattered across the bed.

"Harry," she breathed, her face draining of colour. Ginny sprang to her feet and tried to rush past him, escape out the open door. Harry reached out and caught her arm, pulling her back from the door and closer to him. _ Quidditch reflexes_, he thought dryly. Ginny let out a strangled squeak at the sudden capture and looked up at him, her brown eyes dark in the dim light.

"Harry Potter, let me go! I am not a Snitch!" she bristled, glaring up at him and forcefully shaking his hand off her arm. Harry blinked in surprise at her sudden change of attitude and backed away a few steps.

"Ginny, what has got into you tonight?"

Ginny advanced on him, and Harry backed up another step. She now stood in the entrance of her dormitory, hands gripping the wood door mercilessly. "You really don't know, do you?" Ginny laughed mirthlessly. "Harry, you and my brother really are alike, do you know that?"

Harry started to ask what she meant by that, but a pained yelp followed by a muffled curse interrupted him. Harry looked back toward the common room. "That sounded like Hermione!" 

Ginny didn't reply, but she shot past him toward the common room. Harry followed, and Fred, George, and Professor Lupin joined them only moments later.

Hermione stumbled across the common room looking bedraggled and beaten. Blood oozed from several small welts on her face and hands and bruises were beginning to blossom on her exposed skin. She moved carefully, supported by Morgaine, and winced frequently.

"Hermione, what happened?" Morgaine asked, leading Hermione to one of the couches. "Where's Ron?" Hermione began crying softly, and Harry felt his stomach plummet. Morgaine quickly pulled out her wand and conjured a table and an array of medical supplies and potion bottles. She uncorked one bottle and filled a waiting goblet, waiting until the clouds of glowing, golden, smoke cleared before handing it to Hermione. "Here, drink this, calm down, and tell us what happened," Morgaine ordered gently. The others moved closer as Hermione submitted to having her wounds tended and told them what happened.

"After we left the common room, we intended to walk to the far side of the lake. There's a small ridge there with an excellent view of the castle and lake and it's very beautiful at night." Hermione blushed slightly as she admitted their destination. It was a poplar place for Hogwarts couples, but slightly out of bounds. It could only be reached by entering the fringes of the Forbidden Forest. 

Hermione cleared her voice and continued. "We were ambushed before we even reached the trees. Several wizards in dark, hooded robes raced out of the trees. Ron," her voice broke. "Ron went down almost immediately, but I'm sure it was only a Stunning spell. I heard them shout it. It only clipped me, but I tumbled down a small hill to the lakeshore. I think I hit my head and blacked out for a few minutes. By the time I woke up, the Death Eaters were gone and so was Ron." Fresh tears ran down Hermione's face as the rest of them absorbed the information.

The Death Eaters had Ron.

Shocked silence descended for several long moments. Harry finally broke it.

"We have to rescue Ron."

"Harry, mate, we don't even know where he is!" Fred pointed out.

"And we don't have any way to find where they took him," George added.

"We can't just abandon him!" Harry snapped back, fear and rage vying for control along with a barrage of questions echoing through his mind. Why did they leave Hermione? Why take Ron? "Voldemort wants me to follow," he concluded heavily. "There must be a way to find him."

"Morgaine can," Ginny whispered. "You found Hermione's book. Can't you do the same with Ron?"

"Finding a young wizard captured by Voldemort is quite a bit different from finding a book, Hermione," Professor Lupin spoke quietly, stepping forward from his place near the dormitory stairs and drawing his wand from his robes. "Morgaine could do it, but I'm willing to bet you can't." Morgaine's face remained impassive as Lupin levelled his wand at her. "You're not Morgaine."

She nodded slowly, a dangerous smile touching her lips. "You're right. I'm not."

~*~*~*~

Three cliff-hangers in as many chapters. I'm doing well! *evil smile* Okay. Review time.

Acy: Nope. She's not. Rowan is simply older and more experienced than Harry is. Now, if she could do all this at 15, she _would_ be a Mary Sue. However, experience does speak for something. It's not that far-fetched that a 30-something witch can know more than about magic than a 15-year-old Harry Potter and be an animagus.

GinS: Thanks Gin! I rather like her. I will also be developing the Harry/Ginny relationship more. Can you tell yet?

Sonata: Tune in next chapter and find out!

SparkySparkles: You'll see.

Cory: *bows* Thank you.

Harriet Potter: ^_^ that is such a wonderful complement! Imogen (my beta) would probably fall over laughing at that since this chapter had so many Americanisms it's funny! I've lived in Utah all my life, actually, but would love to visit the UK. My mother's family is Welsh and English.

WolfMoon: gorgeous name! I'm having fun with the cliffies!

Devil Child: No worries about the downloading at all! I don't mind in the least. I love Sirius, (no, really? We couldn't tell, Kat!) And you may want to try a brand new one by Goldberry called "Left of Orion". I really enjoyed that one.

Lana Riddle: I do try. ^_~

Nataly Ravenlock: ROFL! Oh my! Thanks! I can't really stand Angelic!Narcissa either, but I see it so much, I thought this would be a nice change. Your comment had me earning weird looks from my family.

Fishead: Not a chance! I'm definitely finishing this story. And we all LOVE cliffhangers, don't we?

Plutostar: James was a Chaser in the books. He is only a Seeker in the movie. I don't count the movie as canon. However, even if James was the Seeker initially, he probably wouldn't necessarily stay the Seeker. In my back-story he started out as Seeker, but grew and was replaced by Rowan. She's a year younger, far smaller and didn't join the team until his fourth year.


	35. I've Got a Bad Feeling About This

Dedicated to Ami, my fellow beta, admin, and the ultimate hater of Smurfs. Because she ROX!

Chapter 33 – I've got a bad feeling about this 

"Malfoy!" Sirius shouted, striding forward and ripping the wand from the Death Eater's hand. Rowan collapsed roughly to the stone flooring, still Petrified by Malfoy's first curse. "Are you insane?" Sirius snarled, hurling Malfoy's wand back at him and removing the Petrifying spell with a sharp flick of his own wand. Rowan gasped as she regained control of her body and pulled herself carefully to her feet.

"Leave this alone, Severus," Malfoy snapped icily. "You're on tenuous ground as it is."

"Not my problem." Sirius smirked at the look that blossomed over Lucius's pale face as his fist connected with his temple. Malfoy's eyes rolled into his head and Sirius didn't bother to catch him as he dropped to the floor, blood trickling out of a small gash on the side of his head.

Sirius straightened his robes and massaged his right hand. "He's got a harder head than I expected," he winced, wiping a tracery of blood off his knuckles. Rowan wordlessly produced a handkerchief from her robes, looking slightly ill at the blood. Sirius frowned at her reaction. That was odd. She was a mediwitch, and he'd watched her tend worst scrapes before. Blood didn't phase Rowan Myfanwy.

Then another thought struck him. Rowan wasn't caught. Ever. 

Sirius swore mentally rounded on his companion, pressing his wand into the hollow of her throat. "You're not Rowan."

Rowan blinked and glared at him. "We don't have time for this, Sirius!" she scolded. Sirius didn't move the wand.

"Who are you? And where is my fiancée?"

"Fiancée?" she scoffed. "Rowan hasn't been your fiancée since she left your ring on the paths of CaerMyrddin! Do you want to find Pettigrew or not?" she huffed, folding her arms, and ignoring the wand partly cutting off her air supply. 

Sirius goggled at her sudden mood change. Her entire manner and tone settled into a more proper and precise attitude than Rowan usually bothered with around Sirius. "Morgaine?" he hazarded, lowering his wand slightly in shock. She nodded and reached up to push his wand the rest of the way down.

"I know where Pettigrew is," she said, turning and pulling him down a side corridor. "Roughly anyway." She smiled as his eyes widened in surprise. "I'm not thirteen anymore, Sirius Black. I'm a full seeress now. And the moon will be full in three days. Right now, I can _smell _our little friend. He's not far."

~*~

"Put your wand away, Moony," 'Morgaine' ordered, calmly setting her medical equipment to rights. Harry couldn't believe his eyes as Professor Lupin did just that! He sighed and shook his head at the veela-witch, sticking his wand back in his belt.

"I swear, Rowan Myfanwy, half of my grey hairs are your doing!"

Harry stared at his Professor in shock and quietly pulled out his own wand. He had to assume that Professor Lupin was under a spell. Ginny glanced down at his wand and pulled out her own, giving him a wan smile before turning her attention forward. Hermione and the twins just stared at the two adults in shock. "She could be a Death Eater, Professor!" Harry said, stepping forward and covering the impostor with his wand. "We can't trust her." Ginny stepped forward as well, her wand held steady and her eyes cold. Harry shot a glare at the twins, making them both scramble for their wands.

The impostor slowly stood, ignoring the various wands trained on her and nodded approvingly. "You choose excellent friends. Now, ask them what I just said."

Harry blinked in confusion. "What do you mean: what you just said?" he asked. "Everyone heard you."

"We heard her all right, but we didn't understand her," Fred told him.

"Harry, it is Professor Myfanwy!" Hermione gasped. The others nodded and lowered their wands in relief. "Only Parselmouths and magical creatures can understand a _Vox Veritas Argentum_!"

Professor Lupin shrugged and smiled slightly. "I understood her perfectly too, Harry. But then," his smile turned self-depreciating. "I'm a magical creature."

"Technically, so am I, Moony," Rowan shrugged. "Any brilliant ideas on how we find young Mr Weasley?"

"Prongs was always the best at thinking on his feet, Rowan," Lupin pointed out.

"But the schemes that didn't involve scaling a tower to escape Mr. Filch, leaping off a third story balcony, squeezing four of you into a broom cupboard or various other insanities were generally yours," she countered laughingly.

Harry watched their exchange with half an eye and slipped closer to the dormitory stairs, trying not to be noticed. No doubt, they'd try to leave him behind when they went after Ron. But Harry didn't intend to be left behind. If he got his father's Invisibility Cloak he could follow without being seen. Voldemort had taken Ron to get to him, Harry, and that made it Harry's responsibility to help rescue him. Hermione caught his eye and frowned slightly in disapproval. Harry glared back stubbornly and mouthed Ron's name. Her eyes looked pained, but she still glared at him in disapproval.

Professor Lupin saying her name startled them out of their silent contest. "I think Hermione had the right idea. We should wait for Morgaine to come back. After all, that seems to have been your reasoning for finding Peter. It may be the only way to find Ron."

~*~

Morgaine led the way through the winding corridors of Malfoy Manor. Her eyes half-slit as she trusted her heightened hearing and smell. Rowan was very right he realised. Morgaine was still a werewolf with wolfish mannerisms and the nearing full moon only heightened the tendency. He'd seen the same actions in Moony countless times. It was a bit disturbing to see the same thing in someone he remembered as a social and frivolous sixteen-year-old. Right now she acted like a wolf on the hunt. His inner Padfoot was only too happy to let the she-wolf lead.

Sirius hoped she would still divide her attention enough to listen to him. He still wanted answers. "Where is Rowan?" he asked.

"Still at Hogwarts, watching over your godson," Morgaine reported without turning. "She's not allowed to leave the grounds - especially not to walk directly into a trap. Grandfather and Professor Dumbledore had us switch places right before you and I left."

"Why wasn't I told?"

"There wasn't time," Morgaine shrugged. "And it wasn't safe. According to Rowan, there's spy at Hogwarts, but she doesn't know who it is yet. She didn't want anything said that would put you in danger."

Sirius grimaced. He did _not _need a keeper! He started to ask something else, but Morgaine put her hand up, motioning for silence and pointed triumphantly at the door they'd stopped in front of.

With a decidedly feral grin, Sirius pulled out his wand and pushed open the door. Only a few candles lit the room and its lone occupant squeaked in terror as he stalked in. Morgaine joined him and Peter Pettigrew cringed in front of a tall moonlit window. His watery blue eyes darted nervously to the open door behind them. Morgaine moved slightly, more fully blocking any escape. "Rowan . . . Severus . . . what a surprise!" Pettigrew squeaked.

"Good evening, Peter. Have you enjoyed your holiday?" Morgaine asked, icy contempt dripping off her voice. Apparently, she didn't appreciate his utter betrayal anymore than her sister did.

"Don't kill me?" he smiled weakly.

"I think we'll reserve that pleasure for later," Sirius felt a dark smile stretch across his lips.

A sharply spoken _Expelliarmus _from behind yanked both of their wands out of their hands and sent them flying backward. Sirius spun, barely noticing Morgaine's lunge out of sight, and saw Narcissa holding two extra wands in her off hand. 

"Narcissa! Help!" Peter squawked followed by scuffling sounds and a thud.

"_Stupefy_," she said almost lazily. There was a brief flash of red light from her wand and the scuffling sounds quieted. "You are right, you know," she told him thoughtfully. "The Dark Lord will probably allow you to kill Wormtail; at a later, more suitable time. _Stupefy_."

~*~*~*~

__

~ No, I am not dead. And I apologise for how long this took! Everyone is incredible for putting up with me ~


	36. Our Situation Has Not Improved

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Chapter 34 – Our Situation Has Not Improved

"They're late," Rowan muttered, drumming her fingers nervously on the stones of the windowsill and staring out at the grounds in distraction. She looked like herself now. Harry and the others had watched the last of the Polyjuice lose effect over an hour ago.

"How much Polyjuice did you send with them?" Harry asked quietly, pulling out his father's pocket-watch to check the time. It was just after midnight. He didn't like her defeated sigh.

"Not enough, apparently. The last of it will be wearing off any moment now. If they're not back soon . . ." she snarled something under her breath and started pacing. Harry almost wanted to join her, he felt as frustrated and angry as she looked. Ger Myfanwy stepped through the portrait hole with a grim look on his face. Ger's enormous raven, Mordecai, flapped over to land on the back of an armchair beside Harry and butted his feathered head under Harry's hand. Harry found himself smiling despite his worry and scratched the bird's crest earning a cackle of contentment.

"Vain bird," Ger smiled slightly at his bird's theatrics, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Mordecai flew over Hogsmeade and they're not back yet, Rowan. Something's wrong."

"So I've noticed," Rowan replied as her eyes raked over the others – no one had felt willing to go to bed without news of Ron. He almost missed her next whispered decision. "We can't stay here."

"Rowan," Ger warned. "You can't." She cut him off with a deadly look. Ger quieted immediately and dropped his eyes and Harry's respect for his Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher rose another notch. Right now she looked very much the leader of an ancient Wizarding clan.

"We're not staying here, little brother." She caught the attention of everyone before she continued. "I think we all know better than to stay where there's an unknown traitor in the ranks."

Ger's eyes snapped up in shock and Harry heard several muffled gasps around the room. Harry's mind reeled and an icy fear clawed at his middle. Eerie laughter, high and cold, accompanied by a flash of green light and his mother's scream echoed through his memory. There was a spy in Hogwarts?

"That's all I know, I'm afraid." Rowan spread her hands helplessly. Apparently, one of the others had just asked the same question Harry had been thinking. "Whoever it is covers their tracks very well. I don't know who it is."

"Where is Dumbledore?" Professor Lupin asked quietly, still sounding calm.

"He and Grandfather are at CaerMyrddin," Rowan replied. "Why?"

"Because the safest place on earth is wherever Albus Dumbledore happens to be," Harry answered, casting a look around at the others. "Isn't he the only one Voldemort is really afraid of?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Rowan smiled fully for the first time that evening and winked at him. "But you're right, CaerMyrddin is probably the safest place for all of you right now. I see no reason to leave any more potential hostages lying about."

"One is more than enough," Ger agreed grimly. "I'll go back to the Ministry and see if I can't track down a few trustworthy Aurors just in case," he said and called Mordecai back to his leather-clad fist. "Any ideas, Rowan?"

"We can help you there!" Fred volunteered as he and George jumped forward.

"Yeah, Dad knows lots of people at the Ministry," George nodded.

"And Dumbledore trusts him," Fred chimed in hopefully.

Ger grinned at the pair, "Come on then, you two." He glanced over at his sister for permission, apparently not willing to cross her notably thin temper again tonight.

"Keep them safe and out of trouble," she said. "I'm afraid Molly will want a white unicorn rug on her hearth if they blow up the Ministry or something. And she'll know just the unicorn to skin!"

~*~

Sirius awoke slowly, his consciousness swimming up from the dark depths and very groggy from the effects of the Stunning spell. He shivered slightly at the cold permeating the stone beneath him.

"Ugh, ouch," Sirius winced as the movement sent a lance of pain through his side. He must have fallen into something after Narcissa's spell hit him.

"I will see your ouch and raise you a groan," Morgaine answered tiredly. "Where are we?"

"Probably guests of the Death Eaters," Sirius replied and began looking at their surroundings. Clouds had to be obscuring the moon, because very little light filtered through the small openings that served as windows above them. He peered into the chilly gloom, wishing he had Morgaine's heightened senses.

"I'm surprised we're still alive."

He pulled on the cords that bound him. They were much too tight to work his way out of and he couldn't quite reach Morgaine's bonds from where she leaned against his back.

"How are you holding up?"

"Honestly? I'm scared stiff right now," Morgaine admitted, shifting her hands in their bonds. "And more than a bit angry with myself. Why didn't I see this coming? Bloody full moon!"

Sirius felt Morgaine shudder and tense as a tendril of moonlight found its way into their prison, illuminating the marble walls with a ghostly glow. "Are you all right?" he asked.

He heard her take a deep breath that trailed off into a small – almost canine – snuffle. "Not really, no," she responded candidly.

Sirius decided he most certainly didn't like the tone she was using. He quickly searched his piecemeal memories, trying to remember if she had a problem with tight spaces. To his somewhat relief, he couldn't recall any such phobias. Still, he asked gently, "Morgaine? What's wrong?"

"Don't worry about it, Sirius," she bit back, her tone distinctly warning him off. "I can deal with it."

"If there's a problem . . ."

"Let me put it this way, Black," she snarled. "You're human and I am most certainly _not. _I'm a werewolf. A werewolf within scant days of a full moon trapped in a cage!"

Sirius blinked, shocked more at her tone than her words. Rowan had mentioned wolfish tendencies, but he'd never heard a human growl with that intensity. Steady on, he thought, yes he had! He'd heard nearly identical tones from Remus during a particularly bad moon. Sirius started to curse internally. "I though you were cured!"

"I am," she laughed mirthlessly. "In a way. At least I don't transform into a blood-thirsty monster every month."

Morgaine shifted again, harder this time, and overbalanced them both. Sirius grunted as they crashed into the stone floor.

"Brilliant," Morgaine growled quietly, obviously speaking to herself. "Just brilliant."

"What are you doing back there, anyway?" Sirius demanded as she continued to squirm.

"I'm trying to untie myself," she huffed, fidgeting even more. "Ger's good at this. He showed me a few things and I even managed it myself. Once. With him coaching me."

Sirius sighed and tried to shift away from having his shoulder ground into a sharp rock. Padfoot's arms were slimmer than his human arms were, but if he transformed with his hands tied behind him he would probably dislocate his shoulders.

"Ouch!"

"What?"

"Your nails are sharp!"

"Oh, sorry." Morgaine sounded contrite, but didn't cease her incessant shifting. Then, with a small cry of triumph, she slipped away from him and stepped in front of him, rubbing her wrists to restore feeling. "I did it!" she observed happily.

Sirius suppressed a slight chuckle at her pleased expression and lifted his hands a bit behind him with a meaningful cough. Morgaine coloured slightly and leapt to untie him.

Once free, Sirius climbed carefully to his feet, rubbing at the welts, wincing as he wiped blood away from a small gash across the top of one wrist. He wondered if Morgaine filed her nails to double as claws. They were certainly sharp enough! Out of curiosity, he stole a glance at his companion's hands and frowned. They were very well kept, but her nails didn't _look _any sharper than a normal female's. In fact, she looked and acted utterly human, now that they were partially free. Though, he noticed, she avoided the direct moonlight pouring through the tiny window above them.

"The door's locked," Morgaine reported after jangling the brass handle briefly. "We still can't get out."

"At least we're more comfortable," Sirius sighed. He bent down and picked up the cords that had been wrapped around their hands. No use in broadcasting their escape. There was always the slight chance that anyone noticing the room was empty would think they had simply been taken elsewhere. However, a scattering of rope fragments was rather telling. Sirius frowned, suddenly noticing the number of rope lengths lying in his hands. Some of them hadn't been untied. They were sliced!

~*~

"Myfanwy, what do you think you are doing? You'll be putting Potter and yourself in danger!" Professor Snape stalked into the Entrance Hall, glaring daggers at the small group standing there, winter cloaks pulled tight about them and obviously preparing to leave. "Perhaps we should just gift-wrap you both and I'll formally present you at the next Summoning if you are so hell-bent on committing suicide!"

"Severus, Harry is in danger no matter _where _we put him at the moment," Rowan explained, calmly adjusting one of her gloves. "I'm not leaving him here. There's a traitor in the Staff, I'm sure of it, but I don't know who it is. There is nowhere else I would trust him right now."

"Leave him with his relatives if you're so worried!" Snape growled, glaring at the stubborn witch before him. "There, at least, you know the Dark Lord can't reach him!"

Harry felt his face pale. He could just imagine the Dursleys' reaction if he showed up on their doorstep in the centre of their New Years celebration. "No!" he cried. "I'm not staying with them! I'll take my chances against Voldemort!"

"You're not going back to the Dursleys, Harry," Rowan soothed, visibly keeping her own emotions in check. "Most certainly not tonight."

"Well, he's also not leaving this castle, Rowan Myfanwy," Snape snarled back. "Not even with you or any of your half-tamed beasts!" He cast a contemptuous glare in Lupin's direction. "You aren't putting this entire world in danger with your misplaced Gryffindor 'valour' this time!"

"Why are you so concerned?" Rowan shot back, and Harry could nearly see a crackle of subdued magic rising around her, making her look almost . . . demonic. He edged slightly away and noticed Hermione and Ginny slipping behind him. Her temper looked frayed to a thin line, and he was willing to bet that Snape wouldn't get out of this round with a simple slap.

"Enough of this!" Lupin snapped, a dark and steely note in his voice. "_Expelliarmus._ _Stupefy. Corfyla._" Harry felt a tingle of magic whisper past him and saw Snape abruptly lurch back several paces and disappeared into a swirl of shimmery green mist. The mist cleared quickly leaving an average-sized playing card with the picture of a very unconscious Severus Snape sprawled across the front of it!

"Much as I'm sure you could handle him, Rowan, he had that coming," Lupin said, re-sheathing his wand and handing Snape's pilfered wand to a shocked looking Rowan. "We'll owl Minerva when we reach CaerMyrddin and tell her where we left him." Professor Lupin leaned down and picked up the card, looked about for a moment and tucked it securely away behind a suit of armour. "Maybe."

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	37. The Heir of Merlin

Ahem. BOOK V IS FINALLY COMING OUT!!!! Everyone throw a parade because we all need new canon!

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Chapter 35 – The Heir of Merlin

Sirius tugged on the brass handle of their makeshift cell. The room obviously wasn't meant to hold prisoners, Sirius had decided as he surveyed it after he'd climbed to his feet. The brass of the handle in his fist was highly polished and intricately worked to look like a stylised tree. He guessed the room was originally meant as a storage room of some sort from the heavy scent of spices and wood. By that alone, he guessed they weren't at Malfoy Manor any longer. Lucius and Narcissa, after all, would have a better arrangement than an empty storage closet for unwelcome guests.

"Can you pick the lock?" Morgaine asked hopefully, massaging feeling back into her wrists and peering over his shoulder.

"With what, my dew claw?" Sirius raised an eyebrow in her direction and pointed at her loose hair. "Keh, Morgaine, they even took your hair pins!"

"I untied us, I was hoping you could pick the lock," she sighed and turned away from him to examine their cell more intently. 

"You didn't untie us," Sirius said, bending down to scoop up a fraying bit of rope and tossing it at her. Morgaine caught it from the air without turning and gingerly pinched the end between two fingers. Sirius shook his head in amazement. He'd wondered if her reflexes were as honed as Moony's and, apparently, they were. 

Werewolves were amazing creatures. Perhaps it was his own years of friendship with Moony and their night-time romps through the Forbidden Forest, or a product of his own unique upbringing even before Hogwarts, but Sirius still didn't fully understand how most wizards could fear something that was only dangerous during the full moon. Not that he discounted how very deadly a moon-crazed werewolf was – he'd seen it up close more than a few times – but most females he knew weren't exactly safe to be around certain times of the month either!

Sirius's thoughts were cut off by Morgaine. "The ropes were cut?"

He looked over to see standing in the small patch of moonlight, facing him with a confused frown marring her features. Sirius nodded grimly, "and unless you hone your nails for battle, neither of us has anything sharp enough to do it."

"I left a good-sized gash on your wrist, Sirius," Morgaine pointed out dryly. "I can smell the blood. But you're right, this looks very suspicious. Though I wonder . . ." her words trailed off as she became lost in thought.

"What?"

Morgaine shook herself out of her thoughts with a slight frown. "Who would bother to untie us, then leave us with no way out of our cell?" Morgaine abruptly perked up, her attention snapping to the door.

"What is it?" Sirius asked, considering transforming into Padfoot so he wouldn't be at a disadvantage sense-wise.

"Someone's coming," she reported, listening intently. "Several humans and they're dragging something with them." She sniffed lightly at the air and wrinkled her nose with a frown. "I can't smell much – there are too many other scents in the way – but there are at least three people out there with wands."

Morgaine cut off at the slight clink of heavy keys sounded outside the door. Sirius considered setting up an ambush for a moment before dropping to the floor again. He quickly reached up to grab Morgaine's arm and give it a sharp tug, making her fall next to him with a surprised yelp. "They'll stun us if they see we're awake and free," he pointed out as Morgaine glared at him. "Lean against my back and pretend to be unconscious. We'll never overpower them without our wands."

She huffed once at him, but obeyed, scooting around so that their backs touched and relaxing in feigned unconsciousness. Sirius dropped his head, eyes closed, just as the heavy door swung outward. The slight puff of air carried the damp smell of wet stone and water plants. Consciously forcing himself not to fidget, Sirius concentrated on listening to the slight rustles of clothing and the click of boots as a small group filed in, dumped their un-protesting burden in a crumpled heap near the other two, and filed out again. The door swung shut behind them with a low thud before Sirius risked opening his eyes slightly.

Fresh snow clung to a pair of tatty-looking boots and the bottom of a worn winter cloak topped by a shock of distinctive red-hair.

"Ron!" Morgaine gasped behind him before darting into view. Sirius moved to her side, tugging Ron's restraints free and gently turning the unconscious boy over onto his back. Morgaine quickly began checking Ron over, testing most of his vital signs with surprising efficiency. _Then again,_ Sirius thought. _ Her sister _is _a mediwitch. She must have picked _something_ up in the last fifteen years._

Morgaine rocked back on her heels with a sigh of relief as she finished her examination. "He's fine," she reported. "Probably knocked out with a Stunning spell since they didn't rough him up too badly. He should wake up in an hour or so."

~*~

Professor Myfanwy transformed into a shining unicorn the instant they cleared the castle doors and leapt delicately down to the snowy ground, easily clearing the steps, and prancing slightly in impatience as the other four made a more cautious descent. With a brief toss of her mane the unicorn set a brisk pace for the others to follow. 

"Is Rowan all right?" Harry asked hesitantly, falling back to walk beside Professor Lupin, but keeping watch on the shining animagus that led their small parade. She wasn't normally so . . . restless and it worried him. "I've never seen her so alert and . . . focused." Lupin considered him for a moment; obviously gauging Harry's ability to handle the answer.

"You'd be surprised how determined she can be, Harry, but not really, no," Lupin finally answered. "She's very upset and terrified out of her wits right now and I'd rather not see anyone in the line of fire if she's provoked."

"Maybe you should have just let her slap Professor Snape again and get it out of her system," Ginny muttered under her breath, but just loud enough the other two heard her. Harry felt his jaw slacken in surprise at such a statement coming from Ginny! Ginny must have realized that they'd heard her. She blushed and fell silent again, looking at the snowy ground passing beneath her feet as they all trudged on towards Hogsmeade. Professor Lupin began chuckling softly.

"It would have been more than a slap," he admitted calmly. "I don't particularly enjoy Professor Snape's company, but even with his experience in the Dark Arts, I don't think he realizes just how deadly Rowan is when she's like this."

Ginny looked upset at this and Harry instinctively reached out and grabbed her hand to comfort her. They were friends, he thought defensively, fighting down a blush of his own and keeping his hand over Ginny's. He'd do the same for Hermione. Harry dimly wondered what he was trying to convince himself of.

Professor Lupin obviously noticed their reactions because he explained further. "Demons and werewolves share several characteristics and because of her ability as a _Vox Veritas Argentum_, Rowan's demon blood is particularly strong. A werewolf can change without the full moon if they are angry or frightened enough." 

Lupin's attention shifted from the pair beside him to the white unicorn in the lead. "I don't know if a demon can do the same, but, if they can, Rowan's blood may be strong enough to overshadow her humanity. 

"And if that happens?"

Lupin sighed and ran a hand over his eyes. "I don't honestly know, Harry. But I, for one do not want to battle an enraged demoness, no matter how much I care for her."

~*~

Harry ghosted through the sleeping village of Hogsmeade, his footsteps muffled by the steadily increasing snowfall. Professor Myfanwy guided them to a small cottage on the far side of the village before finally returning to her human form. 

The door of the cottage swung open soundlessly at a touch of her wand, letting them all enter before swinging shut just as silently and locking with an audible click. Harry didn't have much time to look at the furnishings of the cottage, but they seemed comfortable and plain and homey in a snug sort of way. Rowan led them all into the tiny parlour and pulled a silk purse out of her robes.

As she poured a small measure of the bag's contents into her hand, Harry recognised it. Floo Powder! While Rowan was doing this, Professor Lupin lit a fire in the grate and took a bit of the Floo Powder for himself before passing it to the Harry.

"We'll Floo to the boat house," Rowan told them as she tossed her bit of powder into the flames. They leapt obligingly into an emerald inferno, casting sporadic flickers across the walls. "The castle itself isn't on the Floo Network, so we'll have to take one of the boats to the island it sits on."

Harry and the others nodded, except for Professor Lupin, who no doubt already knew what they were heading to. Rowan stepped into the green flames and clearly told them "CaerMyrddin" before disappearing in a rush of light.

Harry watched Ginny, then Hermione step into the fireplace and repeat Rowan's actions before Professor Lupin motioned him ahead. Harry took a deep breath and clamped a hand over his glasses before stepping into the fireplace, not wanting to end up anywhere else because of a lung-full of ash, and felt the peculiar tumbling and spinning feeling before landing in a completely different fireplace, far away in South Wales.

Harry tumbled out of the flames and skidded across a cold stone floor, managing to lose his glasses momentarily despite is precautions. He picked up his glasses and put them back on his nose, snapping the world back in focus. Professor Myfanwy stood in a tall stone-arch doorway, her white robes glowing in the wash of moonlight.

"Harry," Rowan turned back to him and held out one pale hand, "I need your father's pocket watch."

Harry frowned, puzzled at the request, but dutifully dug it out of his robes and handed it to her. "Rowan, what . . ." Harry started. Rowan pulled her wand from her belt. Harry felt a ripple of panic course through him and stomped it down. Rowan wouldn't destroy his father's watch for no reason. She lightly tapped her wand to the front of the watch and transfigured it into a golden box – delicately carved in the same animals and lilies as the watch had been – then reached in and pulled out something that glimmered faintly in the moonlight.

Professor Myfanwy used her wand to transfigure the box back into a watch and returned it to Harry. He turned it over in his hands, inspecting it and finding, with relief, that it wasn't damaged at all.

"You gave me this watch, didn't you?" Harry asked, looking up and remembering the day he'd received the watch. He caught a soft glint of light as Professor Myfanwy lightly wrapped the chain and its pendant around her wrist. The pendant looked like a star trapped in crystal; a tiny point of brilliant light surrounded by a light nebula of mist and suspended from a delicate chain of silvery-blue metal.

"I took care of many of your parents things when they died, Harry. Except for a few unusually delicate things that they entrusted to Dumbledore. I was to return them to you as soon as you were old enough."

Harry noticed that Professor Lupin had moved away from Rowan and didn't look willing to come any closer than he had to. "What is that?"

"The Amulet of Achidnae," Rowan said simply, twisting the chain slightly to make the light glitter as it spun.

"Harry's had it the entire time?" Hermione shrieked. A small smile touched Rowan's mouth and she nodded. 

"Since last summer, yes. What better place to hide it?" she asked. "Right now, though, I think we may need its power." A slight disturbance from outside the gatehouse distracted everyone's attention. Rowan's hand dove for her wand, but halted midway and, even in the dim light, Harry saw Rowan's eyes dim as a shouted "_Imperio!_" wrenched away her free will. Rowan stood demurely to one side, like a living marble statue, as dark-robed figures filled the doorway.

Harry lunged forward, drawing his wand, but pulled up short as Rowan stepped obediently into their path at a command from a familiar drawling voice hidden behind a dark mask. Harry heard a low growl of frustration from Lupin as Death Eaters swaggered up and wrenched away their wands.

"Ah, the Heir of Merlin." Voldemort greeted, bowing mockingly as he stepped into sight. "How very excellent of you to join us."

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Everyone ROX for his or her very kind reviews, or even for just reading it. Between everything else that's been going on lately, they are one of my sanity lines. And, in a moment of utter childishness and Gilderoy Lockhartishness (which wasn't a word, but it is now!), I'm dedicating this chapter to myself, because my birthday is tomorrow, Saturday, January 25. 

Small disclaimer for last chapter: I borrowed the idea of trapping Professor Snape in a card from Yu-Gi-Oh. (Yes, I have a deck. Yes, I know how to play. And, yes, I beat the pants of my last opponent *winks*) I'd advise everyone to keep their eyes out for anime references. It is my other love (along with Harry Potter) and likes to sneak into my writing.

Review answers:

Sonata asked how many more chapters. Good question and I wish I had an answer! The story will end after they face down Voldemort, which they do next chapter. Then an Epilogue covering the aftermath of that. I don't know how many pages that'll take me to write. At a guess? Two more after this one. Don't hold me to that, though.

For all those that keep thinking I'm abandoning this story: **I'M NOT!** I'm simply busy and don't always have the time to write my own stories. It will be finished, never fear. The next part is half written already!

The next chapter will be along shortly! ~Kat~


	38. Darkness Visible

Chapter 36 - Darkness Visible

  
  


Harry's mind blanked at Voldemort's words even as the surrounding Death Eaters herded them outside to the water's edge and enclosed the group in a tight semicircle. Rowan remained nearby but to one side, kneeling with the appearance of humility at the feet of the Death Eater that controlled her. The Amulet of Achidnae still dangled from her right hand, the shard of light inside it pulsing lightly. Professor Lupin also stood nearby, but from his slightly pained expression, Harry guessed the Amulet was controlling him.

  
  


Ginny clung to Harry in terror as Voldemort glided forward to circle them. "Why Harry, what a beautiful young witch you've brought with you," he leered, reaching out to lightly lift a strand of Ginny's hair. "Red hair," he noted approvingly, "like your mother." Harry felt Ginny bite back a sob. He instinctively pulled her closer, glaring defiantly at the Dark Lord. Voldemort seemed to take no notice and circled them once more.

  
  


"How very accommodating of you, Harry, letting me relive my almost-defeat at the hands of your mother. This time, however, I shall not lose. I will kill you both, make no mistake of that," Voldemort smiled, but there was no warmth in it, just cold, mocking amusement.

  
  


Harry glanced toward the Amulet glimmering slightly from where it dangled in Rowan's limp hand. Hermione had said that the Amulet would control any magical creature, but could drain the soul of the wielder. However, Voldemort controlling an army of magical beasts to use against the Wizarding world would be worse than any protective magic awoken by using it without the right bloodline.

  
  


Decision made, Harry coiled his legs underneath himself, and sprung! His hand closed around the delicate chain right before Harry crashed into the snowy ground and knocked his glasses off. Harry hunted for his missing glasses with one hand and clutched the chain to his chest. Rowan had mentioned dragons in this forest earlier, perhaps he could call one.

  
  


It was then he realised he had no idea how to use the Amulet of Achidnae!

  
  


He felt even more lost than he had with his fight against Riddle's Basilisk. Harry stared in horror at the blurry shape resting in his hand. Then he'd had the sword of Godric Gryffindor and, while he wasn't a trained swordsman, that weapon had been fairly straightforward! Far more straightforward than an arcane amulet, anyway!

  
  


'Help!' he called mentally, sending the desperate plea into the Amulet and hoping that something responded.

  
  


Something did. Harry's eyes widened. A large, sinuous head pierced the still waters of the lake with only the increased lap of tiny waves on the rocky shore betraying it's silent arrival. The serpentine head rose, higher and higher on a moonlit column of glistening scales. Finally, the serpent's spined back emerged from the lake, water cascading off its scales in an icy torrent. Its maw split in a toothy grin and a delicate forked tongue danced briefly over its sharp fangs. "Will I do, young one?" it hissed delicately, focusing its glowing eyes on Harry.

  
  


It was enormous; easily half again the size of the Hungarian Horntail he'd faced the year before, now that its deadly-looking, webbed front claws ground against the snow-dusted stones of the lake shore as it sinuously advanced, sliding out into the shallows before anyone could properly react.

  
  


A water dragon, Harry marvelled, as he saw the fin-like vestigial wings spreading beneath its front arms. One of the milling Death Eaters shouted and trained his wand on the serpent. Incredibly quick for all its size, the water dragon struck and crushed the hapless Death Eater in its jaws. An anguished cry echoed over them, sharply ending as the unmoving body dropped to the ice beside the water's edge.

  
  


The Death Eater's mask fell away at the sharp impact, revealing blank grey eyes and a hint of pale blonde hair. "Lucius Malfoy!" Hermione hissed in recognition, her voice sounding unnaturally loud in the stunned silence that had descended.

  
  


Then all chaos broke loose. Several other Death Eaters shrieked as the dragon's finned tail lashed into their ranks, clearing an escape route for the little group of captives. Harry didn't waste time as he saw the two Professors shake off their controlling enchantments. He grabbed Hermione and Ginny's hands and sprinted for the surrounding woods. 

~*~

A soft gasp drew Sirius's attention, waking him from the fitful doze he'd fallen in over the several hours they had been imprisoned. Sirius looked up and saw Morgaine's eyes roll back into her head before she crumpled to the floor. Swearing quietly, Sirius rolled to his feet and moved toward her prone form.

  
  


"Don't touch her!" Ron's voice croaked urgently, great pain underlying his command. Sirius looked over to see the boy levering himself up on his forearms, trembling slightly at the strain. Ron wasn't looking at him though; he was watching the unmoving form of Morgaine. "It's a vision trance. If you touch her you might get pulled into her vision and you don't know how to get out."

  
  


"How do you know that?" Sirius frowned. Ron glanced at him briefly and blushed slightly.

  
  


"I've seen her vision trances before," he admitted, his voice still raw. "Morgaine's been coaching me a bit for the O.W.Ls. She knows a lot about Divination and she's . . .more interesting than Trelawney."

  
  


Sirius swallowed a chuckle at the boy's obvious embarrassment. Somehow, he didn't think Ron would appreciate his amusement. "I see," he said, carefully keeping his tone neutral. "Thank you for warning me, Ron." Sirius crouched next to the fallen Seeress and looked over her to the boy. "Do you know if these are normally spontaneous like this? Or how long it will last?"

Ron shook his head. "They're not supposed to be. She can control it really well. She's taken me into a few to show me what they're like." Ron hesitated before adding, "Something really bad must be happening."

  
  


"Then Voldemort's probably involved." Sirius rubbed a hand over his face and sighed. "It's too bad you're not a Seer, Ron. It would be nice to know what was going on."

~*~

Curses followed their flight as Harry pulled the girls along and hauled them behind the trunk of a large tree, it's ancient bark deeply creased and hollowed; enough to create a shelter for them to catch their breath in. Most of the surviving Death Eaters had scattered at the rampage of the water dragon, taking cover, even as Harry heard Voldemort's hissed orders to find the escapees carried through the still air.

  
  


Harry spared a glance at his two companions. They both looked frightened - their eyes wide and slightly dilated - but they were making a courageous effort to not panic. The three stayed still and silent, pressing further back into the small hollow in the tree, their breath turning to mist in the cold air.

  
  


Professor Lupin joined them moments later and looked at the three in alarm. "Where's Rowan?"

  
  


"She was with you, Professor," Ginny said from where she clung to Harry's arm.

  
  


"I was trying to catch Wormtail before he got away again," Rowan said, ghosting out of the trees. Her winter cloak was gone, lost sometime during their headlong flight, but she ignored the cold, looking ethereal in her white robes. Harry felt a small tendril of fear wind through him. Rowan's eyes were pure black and not reflecting any light. Something was very wrong.

  
  


"All of you, get behind me!" Lupin ordered, narrowing his eyes at their changeling teacher. "She's not human now."

  
  


"Human?" Rowan regarded him with mocking amusement. "I should hope not."

  
  


Harry felt himself pale and a distant part of his mind wondered if standing behind a werewolf to avoid a demoness was really the safest course. Another cry and some frantic scrambling from a lagging Death Eater sounded nearby, drawing their attention. Harry couldn't hear any telling noise from the water dragon he'd summoned. But, remembering how silently the creature had moved that didn't reassure him. He stepped defensively in front of Hermione and Ginny and hid the Amulet still clutched in his hand in a fold of his robe.

  
  


Rowan seemed to catch his thoughts and smirked slightly. "It will not come unless it's called."

  
  


"There could still be Death Eaters in these woods, Rowan," Lupin pointed out grimly. "And we don't have our wands!"

  
  


The slightly mocking smile never left her face as, with almost board indifference, she waved one hand at a nearby oak sapling "Lacanum Inflamare." With a tangible wave of heat, the small tree disappeared in a concentrated inferno, turning to ash and a charred stick in moments. "Hardly a concern, Moony. I don't need a wand."

  
  


Ginny trembled slightly and buried her face into Harry's cloak. Hermione took a tentative step forward, looking fascinated, but utterly shocked. "That's impossible," she stammered, her brown eyes wide.

  
  


Rowan's icy, mocking smile was not reassuring, but decidedly dangerous, "Very little is impossible."

  
  


"Wandless magic can't be controlled - not like that!" Ginny added quietly.

  
  


"She is not in control of it, Miss Weasley," a deeper voice supplied moments before a cloaked wizard appeared out of the trees and reached up to pull back his hood, revealing Merlin's aged face. "And she may do herself some very serious damage if she does not calm down."

  
  


"Leave me alone, Merlin," Rowan fluffed like an angry cat, turning her darkened eyes on the ancient wizard, her stance shifting to the defensive. "I like this power. I'm stronger this way!"

  
  


Merlin's eyes narrowed slightly. "You are half wild and more danger to yourself than me right now. It is very dangerous for you to lose control like this. Even I cannot be sure how much this will affect you." Rowan's eyes widened in shock at the rebuke, and Harry thought he almost caught a slight flicker in her eyes as they almost returned to a more natural colour.

  
  


Harry swallowed and tentatively found his voice, "Grandfather Merlin, do you know what's happened to her?"

  
  


Merlin looked to Harry - turning his back on the volatile demoness and ignoring her as though she were a child having a temper tantrum - and regarded the boy over his spectacles, smiling gently. "A defence mechanism, I would imagine, Harry" he mused, twisting the tip of his ebony beard between his fingers. "Quite probably caused by the Death Eaters and their use of the Imperius Curse. The subconscious mind isn't affected by the Imperius Curse, so, to defend itself from that unnatural control, her mind seems to have willingly submerged its human characteristics beneath the demon blood each of my descendants' carries. Simply put: Rowan is now a full demon."

Harry heard an odd sort of squeak-gasp from Hermione and saw her eyes widen. "You can't be!" she shrieked, her hands flying to her mouth in amazement. "You can't be him! You died! You can't be alive!"

"Miss Granger?" Merlin gave her a puzzled look. "Can't be who?"

  
  


"You're Merlin!" she gasped. "The real one," Hermione pressed, her eyes burning with excitement now as Merlin merely nodded his confirmation, not seeming overly concerned with her deduction. Harry felt a jolt of surprise as this sunk in. The real Merlin? Was that even possible?

  
  


"Yes, I am Ambrosias, Myrddin and Merlin, the half-demon wizard that once hoped to heal this war-torn land with the leadership of a young man named Arthur," he sighed heavily, an ancient pain passing briefly over his features. "Rowan gained her abilities as a Vox Veritas Argentum from me."

  
  


"And more of her personality than either of you wants to admit," Lupin commented, straightening slightly from his defensive stance.

  
  


The void-like darkness in Rowan's eyes faltered again, almost giving way to a more natural blue.

  
  


Merlin stepped closer to his heir, removing his thick cloak as he did so, and draped it around the younger woman's shoulders. Rowan's eyes widened in obvious surprise at the action and the sudden warmth. "There, little one, calm down and take control again," her grandfather urged gently drawing her eyes upward to his own.

  
  


Harry watched, amazed, as Rowan's eyes flickered, lightening from unrelenting darkness to dark sapphire. They did not return to their natural ice blue. Harry suspected they never would.

  
  


"Rowan?" Ginny asked, taking a tentative step forward. Harry barely stopped himself from lunging after her and pulling her back to safety. "Are you . . . you again?"

  
  


"I . . . I have it under control now," Rowan gasped, shivering from both cold and horror. She straightened, looking at them with haunted eyes. "It was . . . intoxicating. The Imperius Curse is mind rape. It robs you of your control. Your thoughts are no longer your own. Coming out of it is horrible. It's sickening to know they took your mind, you couldn't fight it and they can take you again at any time. Then a part of me I'd locked away at the end of the last war surged forward, offering comfort and protection. I . . . I didn't resist it hard enough." She glanced toward her grandfather and lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry."

  
  


"We can discuss this more later," Merlin told her, stepping back toward the trees, motioning for the others to follow. "The Death Eaters have been removed for now, and I highly doubt they will return this night. However, the castle is decidedly more comfortable for long conversations than this forest."

  
  


Harry fell quietly into step beside Rowan and Ginny with Lupin and Hermione behind them. He stole a careful glance at her, and felt a touch of sadness and a rush of anger towards Voldemort. He was beginning to consider her something like a parent, as he did Sirius. Her still-dark eyes looked haunted, tarnished by self-loathing and more than a bit afraid. She'd admitted that this had happened before, but he sensed that this time was worse and he wondered if she would recover this time.

~*~*~*~

It's the second to last chapter. I'm allowed to take up space thanking you, aren't I? ^_~ Yes, I'm excited. This chapter was a monster to write and I had betas to do. A lot of them and didn't have time to write my own stories. Everyone that reviews means so much to me! And even those that don't review and just check in for new updates and enjoy them (I know you're out there. . . .I'm one of you on several fics -_-;) The final chapter is next! Look for it in a week or so. 

  
  


Plans for the future include an Inuyasha AU that I'm having a ball with. Even if you don't know a thing about Inuyasha, it will be understandable, so I'm inviting everyone to read it. I am also considering either a prequel or a sequel (or both) to this story, but haven't made up my mind on those yet. Anyway, enough of my yammering. ^_~

Reviews for Chapter 37:

Marshmellow16b: you rock for reviewing! I hope it's still "obsession" worthy.

Mystic Jade: You are reading it!!!! Yay! But you know I wouldn't be too hurt if you didn't want to. Plushie Trowas to you for your kindness!

Sparkle: Well spotted! Sirius did give Harry the watch. However, Sirius wasn't in possession of anyone's things while he was at Azkaban and the Ministry would be hesitant to turn things over to Remus because he's a werewolf. That would leave Rowan and Dumbledore. Rowan kept a lot of things in trust for Harry and even kept Sirius's old motorbike. As for your second question. Possibly in an out take. That conversation was mostly Morgaine calming her extremely upset older sister. Rowan had just seen her one time fiancé for the first time in thirteen years and still hadn't really made peace with the fact that she still loved him.

Siljoria: Thanks! The Sorting Ritual wasn't included because it wouldn't advance the plot in any way and the story just didn't flow that way.

Gotta B Writin: It's Rowan. :)

Dementorchic: Thank you so much! I'm so excited too. I've already started planning the party and the costumes. It will be a very quiet party, as we will all be reading.

WolfMoon: Beautiful name! And whenever I manage to snag time away from my betas, I write.

Marvoless: *bows* high praise indeed! "Myfanwy" is an old Welsh name meaning "My fine/fair one" or "My beautiful girl". (I'm quite sure on the first meaning. Not quite so sure on the second) It's pronounced "Mih - Faun - wee".

I-Love-Draco: Thanks!

Elven Eyed: *blushes* thank you. It was a very happy birthday.

Lana Riddle: Thank you and thank you. :)

D-Scythe: *grins* I will definitely read and review now that my life has calmed a bit.

Siriuslover: *laughs* This chapter about took me to the edge of sanity! I'm glad you're enjoying it.


	39. CaerMyrddin

Chapter 37 - CaerMyrddin

  
  


A small whimper escaped Morgaine as she finally opened her eyes, starting slightly at the two men leaning over her. Sirius slid an arm beneath her shoulders and helped her sit up. She didn't need his support for long and he sat back on his haunches, watching her and waiting for an explanation as she shook off the last of her disorientation. When she did, Sirius noticed her eyes fade again with dawning horror. The young Seeress curled in on herself, drawing her knees up to her chin and wrapping her arms securely around them.

  
  


"What did you see?" Ron asked quietly.

  
  


Morgaine didn't answer for a long moment. Finally, she looked up and she looked terrified. "I need to talk to Rowan and Grandfather. Soon. I . . ." she cut off and her attention pricked forward, towards the hall outside their door.

  
  


Sirius started to demand more of an explanation when the door to their cell rattled. Everyone stilled. Morgaine started to say something and the door swung open to reveal Ger Myfanwy standing on the other side. The young wizard pocketed his wand and grinned at them. "Brilliant work at the Malfoys, you two. The complaints were just starting to roll in when I left London. It will be all over the Prophet by morning."

  
  


"Ger?" Sirius asked, feeling his mind trying desperately to catch up and process everything. "How . . . you . . . ah . . ."

  
  


"How did I find you? Or what am I doing here?" Ger chuckled. Sirius just nodded. "We're under CaerMyrddin. A storage room, actually," he explained. "The twins and I ran across the Headmaster and Grandfather in London. They'd been called away to speak with Minister Fudge, apparently. We explained about Ron here," he nodded to the red-haired boy, "glad to see you're in one piece, by the way - and realised that Rowan was probably in danger. 

  
  


"About then we started hearing about the . . . ah, disruption at Malfoy Manor, so I sent a few Aurors clear that up and quite a few more to start searching for Ron while Professor Dumbledore returned to Hogwarts with Fred and George. We didn't want to drag the boys into any really dangerous messes." 

  
  


As he talked, Ger had entered the room and helped the three of them to their feet, looping Ron's arm around his shoulders. The Death Eaters had been none too careful when they'd abducted him and he was limping noticeably. "Looks like you've had a bit of an adventure, Ron Weasley."

"Yeah." Ron nodded weakly and relaxing a bit to lean most of his weight on the older boy. Ger had inherited his father's rather imposing height and slender build, but Ron was by no means small. Still, Ger took the added weight completely in stride and the older boy's easy-going and jovial manner was calming Ron down and distracting him from thoughts of his missing friends.

  
  


"Well, it'll give Rowan a reason to fuss," Ger said. "She's always fussy about everyone's health after a battle."

"Battle?" Sirius interjected, feeling a thread of worry wind through his gut. "What battle?"

  
  


"Too strong a term, Sirius," Ger assured him. "Grandfather and I Apparated onto the shores of the lake and found a small swarm of Death Eaters being terrorized by Jormangund. We also saw Rowan and Remus race into the woods before everything fell apart. Grandfather stayed behind to calm things down and sent me to the castle to check on things. The house elves told me where you were. I'm sure Grandfather has found the others by now." A slight, proud smile tugged at his lips. "I don't think I've ever seen Grandfather so furious. Especially when I pointed out a few people to him.

  
  


"You weren't lying," he said grimly. At their confused looks, he smirked. "I saw Voldemort. More importantly, I saw that bloody traitor. A bit older, and a lot more skittish, but I saw him."

  
  


Sirius blinked rapidly, hoping and fearing that Ger meant what he thought he did. "Ger," he began cautiously, cleared his throat and continued. "Ger, you were only . . . what, about eleven when you met us?"

  
  


"Fourteen the last time I saw everyone!" Ger defended. "And I'd known every one of you for several years at that point. I've got a good memory, Sirius, and a long one. I know what Peter Pettigrew looked like. And I know that he's alive because he was running for his miserable life from Merlin's little pet and almost ploughed into me!"

  
  


Morgaine shrieked in delight and lunged at her brother, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek. "You're amazing, little brother!"

  
  


Ger blushed slightly and ducked his head, making his dark hair fall over his eyes to hide them from view, but said nothing more as the four continued their trek up to out of the cellars of CaerMyrddin.

~*~

At some unheard call, a small boat sailed out of the mist to ground itself right in front of them. It didn't seem large enough to hold more than two or three people, but Merlin gestured them all to board and both Rowan and Remus stepped in without hesitation. Harry quickly realized that the vessel had been enchanted as everyone climbed aboard and found seats easily. Rowan immediately took a solitary spot near the prow, wrapping one arm around the carved dragon head and letting the other rest in her lap as she stared out across the water. Harry didn't know what she was thinking or remembering, but her eyes seemed so sad that he wondered if it was more than just what had happened that night.

  
  


"This place holds deep pain for her," Merlin supplied, making Harry start slightly. He looked over to see the ancient wizard sitting beside him and watching him with kind eyes. "And many things will change now. Though with you safe, and Sirius returned to her, I think she may finally heal."

  
  


"You mean she won't lose control like she did earlier again?"

  
  


"That is the least of my concerns, Harry," Merlin told him. "Demon blood is both powerful and volatile, but it can be controlled. I have lived with being half demon all of my life and it is not the curse some make it out to be. Rowan is simply very young. She needs to grow into her new abilities."

  
  


"I'm not a little girl, Grandfather," Rowan protested, folding her hands into her sleeves. "I'm thirty-three years old."

  
  


"And I am, technically, 1196 this coming April," Merlin responded calmly. "You are very young to me."

  
  


Rowan levelled a mild glare at him before turning her attention back out over the water and to the new shore they were quickly approaching.

  
  


The boat glided to a halt several paces from the shore and sat, rocking in the light swells of the lake. Harry wondered if they were supposed to swim through the icy water the rest of the way to shore, when a the soft sound of rushing water drew his attention. Vines and roots were rising from the dark lake waters. The vines twisted and fused themselves until no gaps remained and they formed a solid pathway all the way to the shore.

  
  


"It's quite safe," Merlin chuckled, observing their dubious looks. He easily stepped out onto the living bridge and reached back in to assist Hermione. Harry clambered out, not quite as gracefully, and offered his hand to Ginny. She smiled at him and hopped out, only stumbling a bit as she re-accustomed herself to solid ground.

  
  


Once everyone stood safely on dry ground, Harry looked back to see the vine bridge disentangle itself and slip back into the dark water with another quiet rush of water, leaving the dragon boat rocking gently in the surf. 

  
  


The small group silently set off again, following a snowy path that wound its way through the thick forest trees that grew almost all the way up to the shore. Harry bit back an exhausted yawn. It was long after midnight now, and the others looked as tired as he felt.

  
  


Exhausted as he was, Harry looked around his surroundings, enjoying the ancient feel of the forest around them. The forest trees were very tall and stately even in the depths of winter. Tiny glowing lights swarmed through the trees around them. As one floated over to inspect him, perching on the tip of his nose, Harry realized they weren't just lights, but tiny birds, each no bigger than his fingernail! They reminded him of the tropical birds that Sirius used to send his letters with their long, shimmering feathers. The tiny bird soon fluttered away to join the others dancing through the trees.

  
  


Harry soon saw Rowan drop back from her place near the front to walk alongside Merlin, allowing Professor Lupin to lead them towards their destination. Harry glanced back several times to see the pair speaking quietly with one another before giving in to his curiosity. As nonchalantly as he could, Harry fell back a bit until he was close enough to catch bits of the conversation.

  
  


"Will it be enough?"

  
  


"Granddaughter, your blood is as strong as my own at this point. It will be more than sensible to bond the boy to you and your mate. From what I have seen in the short time I've know Harry, he will agree to leaving his aunt and uncle." Merlin's dark blue eyes fairly twinkled at the younger witch. "Of course, this would require you to actually accept young Sirius as your husband."

  
  


"Grandfather!" Rowan looked utterly horrified. "You're blackmailing me!"

  
  


"Not at all, my dear!" the old wizard laughed outright. "I'm protecting Harry and, incidentally, not giving you two the opportunity to talk yourselves out of something that has been delayed quite long enough."

  
  


"You're doing it again," Rowan accused softly, her eyes narrowing in displeasure.

  
  


"Doing what, exactly, little one?" Merlin smirked, looking rather pleased with himself.

  
  


"You're distracting me from my problems by focusing me on someone else,"

  
  


"And it is working," he observed. "You are going to speak with young Harry about this."

  
  


"And apparently going to be married before the sun rises! This is hardly romantic," she hissed back, noticeably trying to wrestle down the blush staining her ears and cheeks.

  
  


"And your current state of affairs is no more romantic than a bad habit," Merlin told her firmly, the gentle amusement never leaving his face. "I once instructed a young man not to take a very lovely girl as his bride. He didn't listen either and caused a great amount of pain with his choice. Rowan, Arthur didn't fully love Gwenivere; it was not the style of the age and true love is rare in any time. He only saw a prize to place beside his throne." Merlin reached out and lovingly took his granddaughter's chin to gently bring her eyes to his. "You are truly greater in my eyes than that vain queen, little one. You have never ceased to be faithful to your love, even when he was not only absent but had apparently betrayed you."

  
  


"You're a conniving old dragon, Grandfather," she told him. "Harry, stop eavesdropping and come walk with us." Harry felt his face flame at being caught, but obediently dropped back to join the two.

"I assume you caught most of that."

  
  


"You're going to marry Sirius," he responded, still not quite sure how he felt about the idea.

  
  


"That's about the smallest bit of it," she laughed wryly. "Do you know why? Rather, do you know what this will mean for you?"

  
  


"I'll be able to leave the Dursleys?" Harry asked carefully, trying desperately to tamp down the feeling of giddy hope that was trying to bubble up in his chest. He didn't want it to be snatched from his hands at the last moment yet again. "Permanently?"

  
  


"Permanently," she confirmed. "It would be too dangerous for them and for you to go back. I'm sorry, Harry, but you know Voldemort will try and kill anyone you're closely associated with. Do you mind?"

  
  


"You underestimate how much I hate the Dursleys," Harry assured her quickly. "But what about you and Sirius? You'll be hunted too."

  
  


Merlin chuckled and Rowan just raised an eyebrow sardonically. "Yes, and what a change that would be. There is more, and Sirius needs to hear it too and agree, or . . ."

  
  


Rowan took a deep breath and, abruptly, Harry realised what she was referring to and felt himself pale. Between his exhaustion, Voldemort, the creature in the lake, and Rowan's . . . episode, he'd forgotten something vitally important.

  
  


"The Amulet's curse is going to kill me, isn't it?" 

  
  


Rowan nodded slowly. "In less than a day, according to Grandfather. Unless. . . Well, there is a way to stop it, but . . . you need to know what it will mean, and it will make Voldemort more desperate to kill you."

  
  


Harry wondered silently if it was even possible to make the Dark Lord want him dead even more than he already did. He didn't say this out loud, but just nodded for her to continue.

  
  


Surprisingly, Merlin answered him. "It's a ritual, Harry. We can infuse you with a small portion of demon blood and the curse will stop trying to destroy you."

  
  


"Harry, you need to understand what this will mean," Rowan told him softly. "This is ancient magic; demon magic. It does not do things half way. Invoking this makes you my son almost as much as you are - and will always be - Lily's. Legally, though, you will be the heir of the Myfanwy clan. My heir."

~*~*~*~

Yes, I promised that this would be the last chapter. But it seemed like such a good spot to leave off, you'll just have to put up with one or two extra chapters. One person asked that I include a list of Harry Potter stories I follow. Um . . .that would be hard, as I don't follow any currently. Between writing "Heir" and beta'ing for Gryffindor Tower, I don't have any desire to read more HP fanfic. Perhaps after Book Five I will. As you may notice in my profile, I'm obsessed with Inuyasha right now, so I read mostly in that fandom and my next large story will be one set in that universe. I invite everyone to read it because it will be Alternate Universe and should be easy to understand even if you've never seen the show. :) Thanks for reading, everyone!


	40. One Step Closer

*shakes the icky off her paws* I hate writing fluff. Utterly and completely hate it. Angst, absolutely; action, of course; humor and bantering, I enjoy it. Fluff? Dear heaven help me, I end up blushing the entire way through!

As for this delay. I'm very sorry! An enormous mess was left by a renter which I have spent the last few weeks cleaning up. Remodeling is both time-consuming and tiring. I have gotten to be better friends with a paintbrush and a hammer than I ever wanted to be.

I should be officially back now, though. Saturday is the last day for it. 

Chapter 38

  
Harry was beginning to wonder where, exactly, they were heading when the path bent for a final time and it was just suddenly there! A wizarding castle rose with stately grace and delicacy from the surrounding forest as though it had been crafted as it grew. Harry didn't think he could see a sharp corner in it anywhere and it looked like it was built on the principle that gravity was only a suggestion to be followed only when the builders felt like it. Harry looked over and caught Hermione's eye. She looked amazed too and - he fought back a smile - looked like she was trying to puzzle out the enchantments holding it together. Merlin, apparently, also caught her expression.

"Built by magic with a great deal of help from the elves," Merlin told them, smiling with a touch of deserved pride shining in his eyes. "This castle took many years to construct, but I daresay it is beautiful."

"More than beautiful," Ginny whispered.

"Elves?" Hermione demanded, her voice sharpening until she sounded remarkably like Professor McGonagall. "You have house elves?"

Harry tensed. House elves were a very sensitive subject with Hermione. Rowan and Merlin gave the girl a puzzled look and Lupin looked back as well, clearly wondering what was wrong.

"Why wouldn't we have house elves?" Rowan answered.

Hermione fluffed like an angry cat and Harry stifled a groan. It looked like the rebirth of S.P.E.W. "I suppose they don't get proper wages, or holidays or pensions? It's slavery, Professor!"

"Hermione!" Professor Myfanwy snapped in a tone that commanded instant obedience or else and Hermione's mouth snapped shut with an audible click. "Do not jump to conclusions. It is very noble to help those that can't help themselves, but I don't think you've done your research on house elves."

"Research, Professor?" Hermione blinked. "I've spoken with Dobby and seen what Mr Crouch did to his house elf Winky and . . ."

"Dobby's former master was Lucius Malfoy, correct? And Bartimus Crouch was . . ." Rowan sighed and shook her head. "Without speaking ill of the dead, suffice it to say that those two are not exactly typical of wizarding families. Aside from the demon blood, my family is a far more typical household. Let's go inside and Grandfather can explain it a bit better while I find Ger and get a spare cloak."

"Are you going somewhere?" Harry asked, noticing a suspicious darkness leeching into Rowan's eyes again.

She nodded briskly. "To the Malfoys. To find Sirius." 

~*~

Muffled voices from the direction of the main entrance as Sirius, Ger, Morgaine and Ron trekked their way out of the depths of CaerMyrddin. Each of them froze, listening intently, trying to identify the voices, and becoming ever more nervous as the echoes made that impossible.

Ger drew his wand and glanced at each of the others. "Stay behind me," he instructed. "You don't have wands, and we don't need to give any remaining Death Eaters a bit of target practice. The others nodded, falling back to stay out of the way. Sirius took a step backwards, but then frowned and transformed into Padfoot. His dull claws clicked faintly on the marble floors as he joined Ger at the front of the group and woofed softly at him. Ger grinned faintly and nodded, then turned his attention forward and led them all off again.

Several more turns and a few more hallways brought them out into the main passageways of the castle. The voices they'd been hearing finally resolved themselves into easily recognizable, and very familiar individuals.

Padfoot paused just long enough to hear his name on Rowan's lips before breaking into a fast lope and skidding over the marble flooring. She'd said she wanted to find him, and he intended to make it easy for her to do so.

He could hear the others clattering behind him and he let out a loud bark to announce their presence.

Harry called his name and Rowan emitted a little cry that sounded suspiciously like a quickly repressed sob. She and Harry both sank to their knees to wrap their arms around Padfoot's scruffy neck.

Sirius transformed back into himself before she had any time to pull away, and pulled them closer. He wasn't entirely surprised to feel a trace of tears dampening his eyes. They were all right. Voldemort hadn't taken any more of their broken little family this night.

Thinking of family, Sirius decided he'd better mend a bit more of that before Fate took any more shots at his life. Struggling to his feet and dragging Harry and Rowan with him, Sirius quickly shifted both hands to Rowan's waist and lifted her above his head. 

She laughed. "Put me down, Sirius!"

"I'm free, Rowan!" he grinned, setting her back on the ground, but not relinquishing his hold on her waist. Suddenly he pulled her closer, laying his chin on her hair. Rowan sighed and wrapped her arms around him as well, laying her cheek comfortably against his chest. Then his news seemed to sink in and her eyes snapped back open. Rowan leaned back as far as his arms would let her, eyes wide in shock.

"H . . . how?"

"Ger saw Peter," Morgaine supplied, grinning. "more importantly, Ger recognized Peter. Sirius can prove his innocence."

Sirius grinned and winked at Harry. "If you still want a new home, Harry, the offer is still open."

Harry's eyes glowed with laughter and pure joy. "When can I move in?"

"Just as soon as I discuss something with your godmother," Sirius grinned back at the boy. Then he turned back to the woman still folded securely in his arms. "Marry me."

Startled silence met Sirius's almost-demand. Rowan stared up at him, looking like she didn't quite know what to say and Sirius smirked internally. Even after nearly twenty years of friendship, he could count the times he'd actually stunned her speechless on one hand. And not for lack of trying.

Remus began to laugh. "Now that," he managed, "is the Sirius Black I remember!"

~*~

Merlin began chuckling as well as varying degrees of shock appeared on several other faces. "Very convenient, granddaughter," he commented.

Morgaine shot her younger brother a scathing look before he could say anything and he shut his mouth with a snap. Harry glanced over at his friends, catching three pairs of eyes and got a confused shrug from them.

Sirius looked slightly puzzled. "Convenient?" he asked, then looked back down at Rowan with a teasing grin. "Rowan? Aren't you going to ans-mph!"

Sirius found his words and his breath stopped as Rowan closed the small gap between them and cut him off with a kiss. It was very sweet, though slightly sad, with a slight wildness to it he'd never felt before. Still slightly chilled from the outside air, she tasted like a winter's night.

Rowan broke away before thought abandoned them completely.

"We need to talk," she told him.

Sirius replied with a distracted "Hn?" as he tried to resolve her words against what they'd just been doing. That made her laugh and she reached up to brush a light kiss against his mouth. "About Harry." Rowan pulled away completely to confront the amused faces of their audience and Sirius mentally grumbled that talking about Harry was the last thing on his mind at the moment.

"Perhaps you two should include Harry in your discussion," Merlin's voice interrupted, sounding suspiciously light, as though he was barely restraining laughter at their expense. "We should begin the ritual at dawn."

"Dawn will be fine, but I'm letting you handle that part, Grandfather," she told him firmly. "You can explain to Harry whatever he wants to know while I speak with Sirius. We'll be back before dawn."

Her grandfather smiled knowingly, but nodded and turned to the others to begin issuing orders. Seemingly satisfied that things were in good hands, Rowan curled an arm around his waist, and Sirius fought a smirk down and covered her hand with his own. He would enjoy continuing their 'conversation' of a few moments ago. A sharp nail pressing into a vulnerable tendon disabused him of this idea. "Don't even think it, Padfoot," Rowan told him sweetly. "I said 'talk' and I meant verbal discussion."

~*~

Grandfather – Harry still had trouble thinking of the kindly wizard as Merlin – began herding everyone off into various tasks almost immediately. It was, Harry suspected, a way to keep them all busy and thinking of things other than what had just happened.

"Morgaine? Go send an owl to Dumbledore and speak with the Weasleys. I'm sure Ginny and Hermione will be glad to help you. Remus, I believe you're on good terms with our head elf, Perry?" Grandfather asked, turning slightly to regard the werewolf. At Lupin's nod, he continued, "Excellent. You and Ron can arrange rooms and something to eat for everyone. With everything that's happened, warm beds, tea, and a hot meal should appeal to everyone."

Harry remained quiet, feeling alarmingly tired all of a sudden. Merlin's enigmatic blue eyes seemed to miss very little, however, and Harry was gently pulled out of his exhaustion by a strong hand on his shoulder. "And you, Harry, will come with me." Merlin began leading him deeper into the twisting passages of the castle, away from the others. "There are many things you should know about. Not the least of which is Voldemort's probable reaction to tonight's events."


	41. Immortal

**Chapter 39 - Immortal**

~*~*~*~

Merlin led Harry deeper into the castle, steadily downwards, the passages and turns just a blur as Harry rubbed at his eyes, trying to convince himself not to fall asleep as he walked. Suddenly, the ancient wizard hesitated and Harry nearly rammed into him. Two passages wound in different directions before them. One led downwards in a gentle slope, and the clean scent of damp stone drifted up to Harry along with the soft lap of water. The other, which Merlin was looking down, a contemplative look on his face, carried on levelly and widened before twisting to the right. After a moment of thought, Merlin started off down the second hall.

A whisper, like leaves caught in a night wind grew louder as they walked and a gentle forest scent wrapped around Harry's senses. Finally, Merlin stopped before a pair of carved doors that would have towered over Hagrid and made Harry feel very small indeed. He looked quizzically at Merlin. Only magic could open the massive doors, but the ancient wizard hadn't drawn his wand.

"Is this . . ."

"No," Merlin told him gently. "My grotto workshop is deep in the bowels of the castle. Beyond these doors is the very heart of CaerMyrddin." He reached out a bare hand and the doors obediently swung open, revealing the room beyond. Harry felt his eyes widen and his jaw loosen at the sight before him.

"What . . ."

"We simply call it 'the Tree'." Merlin folded his hands into his robe's sleeves and entered the room, obviously trusting the younger wizard to follow him.

Harry remained rooted to the spot for a very long time and decided that there was nothing simple about 'the Tree'. It was gigantic. Its graceful branches shadowed an area that would take several minutes just to walk midway through and Harry thought that even a dragon could walk beneath it without brushing its head against the lowest branches.

A small pools of clear water stood scattered about its base, some standing alone in stone basins, and some forming cascades amidst the roots themselves.

Merlin halted and turned back to him, an amused smile crinkling the wrinkles around his eyes. "Harry," he called gently causing Harry to shake himself out of his amazed stupor and hurry to catch up. The 'floor' was thick, springy moss with tiny white flowers that lent their delicate scent to the atmosphere of profound peace surrounding the Tree.

The closer they came to the gnarled trunk of the gargantuan Tree. Harry could literally _feel_ his exhaustion and fears drain away, replaced by the feeling of pure magic that seemed to fill the air, amplified by the soft sigh of the wind and the whisper of the water. Voldemort and his Death Eaters, while still vividly present in his mind, seemed a distant threat, now. It was something like listening to phoenix song, Harry decided.

Merlin's chuckle broke Harry out of his reverie. "You will do, Harry Potter. You will do quite well, I think." Harry blinked in confusion as Merlin settled himself on the moss within touching distance of the Tree's massive trunk. "You can feel the soul of this place. You can already sense the Tree."

"Who couldn't?" Harry exclaimed, shocked at the idea that anyone _couldn't_ feel it even as he found a comfortable hollow beside an unearthed root.

"Ones like your Muggle relatives would see only a very large tree, or nothing at all," Merlin told him. "Creatures steeped in dark magic would become violently ill. A vile thing like Voldemort," Merlin's eyes hardened. "Voldemort I truly think it would destroy. It does not like dark magic of any sort, and Voldemort is one of the more vile slaves of the dark arts that I or it has ever seen."

"A tree can kill?" Harry tried to keep the skepticism out of his voice, but had a feeling he was failing miserably. Trees, in his experience, didn't kill unless they fell on people or people fell out of them. He couldn't imagine a tree, even one as magical as the behemoth he was sitting beside, being able to take on any wizard.

"It is not, precisely, a tree, Harry. And certainly not _just_ a tree," Merlin corrected, laying one hand on the rough bark of the tree. He seemed to be listening to something and slightly distracted as he continued. "It is an Immortal Ash and it was ancient long before I was born."

"And it doesn't like Voldemort?" Harry was still trying to wrap his mind around a _tree_ hating a human.

"Nor do I, for that matter. I would gladly rip out his soul for what that creature has done. Especially to Rowan," Merlin stated grimly. "Morgaine and Ger have suffered as well, but Rowan's pain has been horrible beyond reason."

"She told me some of it," Harry said, reaching down to pull one of the small white flowers from the moss and examining its star-like petals. He twirled it in his fingers, thinking he should bring one back for Hermione and Ginny. "Voldemort killed a lot of people, didn't he?"

Merlin nodded, his eyes sad. "What you've seen these last few months is not what I saw when first she freed me. Remus tells me she is becoming something like her old self now. She is finally healing, in great thanks to your freeing of your godfather." Harry felt a rush of pride at the compliment. "If I was to sum up the girl I saw twelve years ago I would have to say haunted, broken and lost. A ruin of her former self all the more pitiful because her real personality had obviously been glorious. And she was not the worst casualty of that war. She lived and was able to salvage some of her former life from the wreckage left by Peter Pettigrew's cowardice and Voldemort's lust for power."

Harry felt a surge of white-hot hate and looked down to see the tiny flower he'd held in his fingers shredded mercilessly.

"I did not see his first reign of terror before he attempted to kill you, Harry. But during my life before I was sealed, I went to great lengths to protect my family. The Amulet of Achidnae and the creatures surrounding this castle, the wards, charms and other enchantments. Everything that could be done, I did in an effort to protect those children I had sired and would be targeted because of their association with me, my halfling blood, and Arthur's inevitable legacy. That is precisely why Voldemort later destroyed them: he feared the power they could conceivable bring against him in his twisted obsession to dominate. I take their deaths quite personally."

"Does Voldemort know?" Harry asked suddenly. "About you, I mean. Does he know you're still alive?"

Merlin stroked his beard thoughtfully. "That, Mr Potter, I cannot tell you. From what Morgaine has seen, and our spies have reported, he does not. In all likely-hood, Voldemort believes 'Merlin' to be dead or still sealed away. And, in all honesty," he continued, turning to look up through the leaves at the night sky above, "I prefer it that way. My reputation causes trouble for those around me. It is better that few know of my existence."

"Why? Between you and Dumbledore, you could stop him!"

"Albus is a formidable wizard," Merlin agreed, nodding. "And I dare say I am one as well, but there is no doomsday spell that can be cast to eradicate all evil from this world. Nor would we use it if there was one."

"Why not!" Harry cried. He could understand Merlin not wishing to be gawked at or fawned over everywhere he went. Harry himself wished this often enough, but this logic escaped him.

"Because the price we would have to pay for such a spell could very well be worse than Voldemort himself."

Worse than a dark wizard hell-bent on wiping out a good share of the population just for being of the wrong bloodline? Harry tried to understand, but couldn't manage to wrap his tired mind around the idea that anything could be worse than Voldemort controlling the world.

Merlin noticed Harry's confusion, apparently, because he explained further. "I lived during the time of Vortigern, Uther and other so-called kings and lords that would sacrifice anything and anyone to their mad lust for power. Even Arthur wasn't immune to that lust and I've seen the damage it can inflict. Lord Voldemort is really nothing more than a megalomaniac fiend that has managed to terrify people thoroughly. A millennia ago, spells were not divided so carefully as they are now into Light Arts and Dark Arts. It was the intent they were used in that mattered." He held up a hand, stalling Harry as he started to ask about the Unforgivables. "Yes, I have killed, Harry. Britain was a war-torn land and war truly is a shadow of Hell. You may have noticed that the Amulet of Achidnae uses a modification of the Imperius Curse. Which is one reason I have considered destroying it."

"But, it only works on creatures, right? So you're not forcing people into anything. Just things like dragons," Harry reasoned. He started, a sudden thought coming to him. "But you don't want to use it against Voldemort."

Merlin frowned. "Firstly, those creatures have a will of their own and I would not have it taken from them unless absolutely necessary. Secondly, it is not a weapon and was never intended as one." Harry blinked in surprise at this. He couldn't see another reason for the Amulet. "I created it to protect my family from the magical beasts that prowled the land fifteen hundred years ago. There were fewer people then and things like dragons, ghost lanterns, and the Wild Hunt roamed the land more freely than they do now. I and Rowan have some control over magical creatures, like you, Harry, do with serpents, but that doesn't always help our friends and I was away much of the time. Rather than return home to find it ravaged by a passing dragon, I created the Amulet of Achidnae, giving my wife and children some measure of protection and laid a blood curse on it to protect it from greedy men."

"Like Voldemort," Harry concluded.

"Among others," Merlin acknowledged.

~*~ Sirius was surprised to find that the castle hadn't changed a great deal since his last visit. He had changed so much during the intervening years that it seemed somehow wrong for this place that was so ingrained in his youthful memories to seem so frozen in time.

"I'll be back in just a moment," Rowan said, ruefully examining the water-stained and generally ratty look of her once pristine robes as he entered the room she'd led him to. He nodded and she disappeared through another door on the other side of the room. Sirius silently wondered what had happened, thinking back to the others that had been with Rowan and Harry. They all looked like they had been mauled by a large cat!

Setting that thought aside, Sirius turned his attention to the room and stared. He remembered it, of course. It was the sitting room of Rowan's chambers. Several doors, he remembered, led into other rooms of the small suite, including her workshop, garden and bedroom. However, there was a completely new element he'd never seen before. Very little of the room now looked European! Several Tatami mats sat on the floor surrounding a table that was surely too low for anyone taller than Professor Flitwick. Tall, delicately-carved screens sectioned off other parts of the room and part of the wall actually slid aside, opening onto the walled garden beyond. There were also several more normal-looking pieces of furniture set around the room, a large bookcase and a small hearth with a merrily burning fire in it warming everything that provided a an anchor. Otherwise, Sirius would have started looking for the Portkey that had spirited them away.

A pleased laugh drew Sirius's attention to Rowan as she reentered the room – her tattered white robes now replaced with a striking set in deepest crimson and bound around her waist with a wide sash of white silk – settled happily into a squashy armchair and leaned her chin against one hand to regard the room. "I sometimes wonder just how much that old dragon really sees or if he's just a meddling old coot with too much time on his hands."

Sirius stared at her for a moment then said, "You just called the wizard Merlin a 'meddling old coot'?"

"Well, he is," Rowan shrugged without concern. "And he's not just Merlin, Sirius, he's also my grandfather. He puts his glasses down and can't forget where he put them five minutes later, has an enormous fondness for Bavarian chocolate and baklava – and will not leave my stash alone – and was fascinated by the plumbing when I first released him. He's human, love, not some untouchable demigod. And he'll expect you to call him 'Grandfather'. Only Dumbledore calls him 'Merlin'."

"He's still Merlin, and calling him 'Grandfather' is going to take a bit of adjustment," Sirius pointed out.

"It didn't bother you sixteen years ago."

Sirius gave her a flat look. "Sixteen years ago I didn't have to look him in the eye. Knowing my fiancée was a descendent of Merlin and sharing tea in the evenings with the man that is enjoying his second millennia, can tell me what the latest gossip was in _Camelot_ from personal experience, and is, very possibly, better well-known than Lord Voldemort are different things." Sirius ran a hand through his hair. "He's half demon, Rowan. He's not even close to human."

Rowan suddenly quieted and turned away from him, staring at the flames in the hearth. "Is that a bad thing?"

Sirius frowned at her abrupt change from mischievous to . . .haunted. He reached out one hand to brush her arm, trying to draw her attention away from whatever thoughts were bothering her and back to him.

She flinched away from his touch and stood, walking a few steps away to pick up a small dragon carved from jade. The sleeves of her robe slipped down and Sirius sucked in a hissed breath. A silvery mark in the shape of a tree, on the inside of her right wrist, stood out prominently. Too prominently.

"Rowan?" he asked quietly. "Why . . ."

"Is it a bad thing?" she asked again.

Sirius hesitated answering, not quite sure what she was getting at and disturbed that her Mark was all but glowing. Her Mark named her Merlin's Heir, but it normally stayed hidden; nothing more than a slight blemish on her skin. Finally, he settled on the least risky answer, and hoped for a better clue. "No?"

"Sirius . . ." she warned.

He spread his hands disarmingly. He wasn't trying to patronize her, but he was quickly getting confused. "Rowan, is what a bad thing? Your grandfather being a half demon?"

"Me being a half demon," she told him flatly.

Sirius blinked. Where had that come from?

"Just answer the question," she snapped moodily. Sirius winced. He hadn't meant to voice that comment, but she didn't normally play mind games with him. And certainly not after the harrowing night they'd both had.

"You haven't answered any of mine." Sirius sighed and willed his temper down. Not only would it not help matters, he knew better. "Rowan . . ." 

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into!" she cut him off. "And you might not want . . ."

Sirius gave a short bark of laughter. "I asked you, Rowan Myfanwy, to marry me! Which I did once before over fifteen years ago! I think I've had enough time to think it through, love."

Without answering, Rowan put the figuring aside and negligently waved a hand through the air. "_Nox_." The fire, and every light in the room went out, extinguished by the spell.

In the darkness, Rowan spoke again. "_Lacanem Inflamare_," and a bluebell fire flickered to life over her hand and sat there, burning merrily only inches above bare skin, now the only light in the room. Sirius just stared and tried to resolve what he was seeing with years of training that said that it simply couldn't be done.

"Rowan," Sirius carefully moved his eyes from the flickering bit of fire to his fiancée's eyes, "Where is your wand?"

Rowan didn't answer for a long moment, choosing to toss the little flame she'd been holding into the fireplace and relight it. Then she watched him, and he could tell she was keeping her emotions firmly beneath an aristocratic mask as she awaited his reaction. "Now do you think you've thought this through, Sirius?"

Sirius took a deep breath and tamped down the shock that ran through his system before speaking. "I think you'd better tell me exactly what happened tonight, love." 

Rowan sank back into the armchair and leaned forward to rub the bridge of her nose tiredly. "The short of it is that Harry Potter has the preservation sense of a bloody goat." Sirius stifled a smile. He was sure she wouldn't appreciate it. A slight, amused smile touched her lips. "I suppose that comes with the territory of being a Gryffindor. Harry used the Amulet to summon the sea serpent that lives in the lake. He was trying to stop Voldemort – who was waiting for us, by the way."

Sirius felt the blood drain from his face in a rush and began swearing. "That was about my reaction too," Rowan commented wryly, "Once I shook off Malfoy's Imperius Curse, that is." She tapped a finger against her lips thoughtfully and corrected herself. "On second thought, my reaction was quite a bit worse."

Sirius stopped swearing and looked at her. "So, let me understand this, you can do wandless magic, and Harry's going to die."

"I can do wandless magic, yes, but Harry is not going to die." Rowan allowed herself a small smile. "On the whole, not a bad night's work."

Sirius started, a tiny flicker of hope appearing before him. "Can the Amulet's curse be broken then?"

"No," Rowan spread her hands helplessly, "but it can be placated."

"Placated?" Sirius blinked. Then he frowned as a thought occurred to him. "Would you explain and quit hinting, Rowan? When did you learn all this? You always told us that the Curse couldn't be broken or stopped. Voldemort thinks that too, apparently, or he wouldn't be trying to capture you along with it. He'd just bind the thing to himself."

"I didn't know before!" she protested. "Grandfather knew all this and I've never asked before! He made the bloody thing, Sirius, he knows how it works better than I do! Yes, we can placate the curse by infusing Harry with a trace of demon blood. The curse won't see him as a threat any more and he'll be able to use the Amulet just like I can."

"Basically, you'll have to adopt him." Sirius shook his head. "Harry really stepped in it this time, Rowan. James was bad enough and he went _looking_ for trouble."

"Oh, don't you act innocent, Padfoot!" Rowan put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "You egged Prongs on!" she grinned. "And were right there in the thick of things to take his back when you prats found it."

"Moony and Wormtail helped!" Sirius mock-protested, matching her grin and reaching out to pull her down on top of him. "And you weren't much better."

"I didn't get caught," she laughed, shifting into a better position and resting her head comfortably on his chest. They stayed that way, quiet and pensive, for a long moment.

"I'll have to teach him how to properly use it, of course," Rowan noted. "It took me several years to master; though he seems to have a knack with wild things. Summoning a creature like Jormangund wasn't bad for a first try."

"What happened?" Sirius asked, reaching up to stroke her hair. "You said Voldemort was waiting for you."

"I . . . I don't remember," she admitted. "Lucius Malfoy put me under the Imperius Curse the moment I stepped outside the gatehouse on the far shore. When the fog lifted from my mind I saw Harry holding the Amulet and sprinting for the forest with Ginny and Hermione. Malfoy was dead or dying – I couldn't quite tell – and the other Death Eaters were running from the serpent.

"I heard a woman's voice above the shouting and noise call out the Cruciatus curse and the pain blanked out my mind for a long moment."

"The woman, what did she sound like?" Sirius asked, hoping his guess wasn't right.

"Sound like?"

"Her voice. Did she have an accent? They were masked, so I assume you didn't see her."

"She had white hair," Rowan answered, clearly wondering why he was asking. "She didn't say enough for me to hear her accent, but she had white hair, and couldn't have been more than ten years older than us."

"So, the Lestranges didn't go completely mad in Azkaban," Sirius sighed, letting his own memories surface. "I thought they had. They lasted longer than most, but . . ."

"Sirius? Padfoot, what are you talking about?"

"Azkaban," he answered. "My cell wasn't too far away from theirs and . . . well, there wasn't exactly a lot to do. They hated me, and I hated them, but at least they could carry on a conversation. It took a long time before they both lapsed into gibbering madness. Or, at least I thought they had. That's how I know she was the only woman in Voldemort's inner circle. She was proud of the fact."

"They knew you were innocent," Rowan gasped.

He snorted. "Of course they knew. That, and being able to turn into Padfoot, was the only thing keeping _me_ sane. But if they know about Padfoot, they know about it from Wormtail. Death Eaters like the Lestranges saw being imprisoned for their Lord as an honor. And they wanted Wormtail's blood as much as I did."

"Why didn't they tell anyone?"

"Tell who, the Dementors? Or perhaps Minister Fudge during one of his inspections? What good would that have done? Even if we had and by some miracle they believed us, Fudge wouldn't have released me. Locking up innocent men in that hell wouldn't have been good for public opinion." Sirius shook himself slightly and steered the conversation away from memories he didn't want taking any firmer root in his mind. "Being hit with the Cruciatus Curse doesn't explain your new parlor trick, Rowan."

She tensed in his arms and took a steadying breath. Sirius wondered if she was fighting her own memories or if she was worried about his reaction. "Grandfather thinks it was a defense mechanism that allowed my demon blood to fully surface. I don't know what happened. All I know is that I was helpless and I wanted nothing more than to stop everything. The Death Eater torturing me finally released the curse long for me to get my bearings.

"I reached out and found a length of wood near my hand. I thought it was the wand of one of the Death Eaters and I brought it up to block the Full Body Bind she hurled at me. It worked and I knelt there for a long moment, shaking from the pain, but free and letting my mind clear."

"You used a wand that didn't belong to you, then?" Sirius asked. It was unusual, since she'd obviously made it work quite well, but hardly earth-shattering.

She shook her head. "No. I looked down and the stick I was clutching was just that: a stick. It didn't even really feel like a wand, but I hadn't noticed that before. I had just blocked a spell without using a wand. Then I felt something inside of me . . . shatter and I welcomed the power. If I had been in my right mind I wouldn't have embraced that darkness. Right then, I was angry enough I didn't care. I let my demon blood overcome my humanity." Sirius held her a bit closer. He could tell she felt sickened by her reaction and, coupled with her earlier reaction to his comment about half-demons, he assumed she'd lost at least a bit of her human blood. "Grandfather found all of us not long after and I assume Ger found you," Rowan finished. Sirius frowned and looked down and the woman tucked in his arms. She was hiding details, but suspected she'd tell him the rest after she'd come to terms with it herself.

"We were locked in a room several levels down." He made a mental note to ask her later about werewolves. Specifically if part demon ones could transform if sufficiently scared or angry. Right then, however, he wanted an answer to another question. One he'd asked twice before now. "Rowan?"

"Hm?" she answered absently. Sirius blinked down at her, startled. He'd heard that sound before. She'd _done_ that before: the little noncommital hmm that told him she was listening, but a bit distracted. He'd been holding her, letting her fold herself into his arms because she was upset. This time, however, he wasn't concealing an engagement ring in his robe pocket.

_~~Would you change your name if you could?~~_

"Will you marry me?"

_~~Sirius, love, I am a Myfanwy. I don't see any way to become something else. You can't alter a person's blood. Even by magic. Why? What were you considering?~~_

Rowan leaned back as far as his arms would allow. "I'm not human."

_~~"I was thinking of asking you to change your surname to 'Black'."~~_

"You're you," he chuckled and leaned forward to brush his lips against her forehead. "Thank god."


	42. Blood Ties

Conspicuously Long Author's Notes: Special thanks to Irene Finlay for listening to me yowl and complain when this silly thing just didn't want to work and looking over bits to calm my worries, and Celtic Ember, for writing a good share of the ritual here and not scolding me for injuring the participants. Parts of the ritual were taken from a hand fasting ceremony, the full version of which can be found here: To FPW for all the wailing chats he's put up with. Liz-chan, who convinced me that Ger's new look should staying. And to the scores of other people who have been so wonderful during the course of this behemoth. You guys are saints.

  
  


Sequel. There is one sort of planned. I'm not sure if I will write it; I haven't decided as yet. I have a few other projects I want to work on, but there are things in the sequel that I think would be a lot of fun to play with. The big question is: after getting Book V, will anyone care about my little AU? If I do write it, it will be called "Demons Blood".

~*~*~*~

Chapter 40

  
  


Sirius leapt to his feet, dropping Rowan to stand on her own, as the door slammed open and they saw Ger stumble into the room, face flushed and breathing heavily. "Blast it, you two, snog later!" he panted. "Something's wrong. Harry fell asleep and Grandfather says he can't wake him up."

  
  


Sirius tensed. "I thought we had more time than this."

  
  


"That's what Grandfather said," Ger told him humorlessly. "Rowan! Get your mediwitch self in gear!"

  
  


"I'm working on it! I don't operate without sleep as well as I used to!" she snarled, pushing her younger brother out of the way and stalking through the room. "Accio!" A long and deep box of polished wood that winged its way to her and she caught it into her arms.

  
  


"Where are they?" she demanded.

  
  


"How the . . ." Ger stared at her in wide-eyed shock. "Rowan, where the hell is your wand? And why . . ." he swallowed nervously. "Why are your eyes so dark?"

  
  


"Ger," Rowan growled, her patience visibly thin as she turned and regarded them both with dark sapphire eyes. "Now is not a good time. We will discuss it later. Where. Is. Harry?" Sirius silently urged the boy to answer her without his usual quips. He didn't think Rowan was angry or scared enough to become a demon, but he didn't want to strain her control any more than necessary.

  
  


"The Tree," Ger answered promptly

  
  


"Good boy. Now, get the others and tell them what's going on. Harry will want to see them when he wakes up."

  
  


"You mean if, right?" Ger grumbled. Rowan shot him a withering glare and a dismissive wave before Disapparating with a faint pop. Sirius shook his head and gave Ger's shoulder a reassuring cuff before summoning Disapparating as well.

  
  


Sirius reappeared an instant later in the center of the sprawling castle and saw Rowan and her Grandfather kneeling down beside a prone figure he assumed was Harry before the biting cold penetrated his robes. Gasping, he looked down to find himself knee deep in winter-chilled water. He had Apparated into the center of one of the larger pools surrounding the Tree.

  
  


Rowan looked up at his gasp and frowned. "Sirius, stop playing in the water. I need your help."

  
  


"I wasn't playing; I just have bad aim," Sirius muttered while clambering back to dry land. He watched quietly as Rowan throughly checked Harry's unmoving form. Sirius's heart clenched at the sight his godson made. He wasn't moving, even as Rowan's hands and magic probed him, and his skin was nearly translucent. "He's too still, isn't he?"

  
  


Rowan had pried Harry's eyelids apart and was watching his pupils intently. They'd drained of their normal vivid green color and were glowing faintly in the pre-dawn twilight. "Well, things are definitely not tickety-boo. He's unconscious because his soul is fading. I'll need to wake him up before we finish the ritual."

  
  


"Harry can sleep for the first of it." Merlin reached over and lifted the carved lid of the box Rowan had brought with her. He removed a tall urn of polished metal and extended it toward Sirius. "Fill this with water from the pools," he instructed.

  
  


Once Sirius filled the urn with chill water, he set it carefully beside Harry and knelt across from Rowan. She'd set a shallow cup of polished stone over Harry's heart and now held an unsheathed dagger in her left hand. 

  
  


Rowan looked at Harry and visibly steeled herself. Then she began to chant, ritualistic and slow and in a language Sirius didn't recognize. This was demon magic, magic at its most impenetrable and ancient and a power even Voldemort would hesitate attempting to bridle. Especially here, at the very heart of Merlin's stronghold.

  
  


Rowan opened her hand and the dagger began to glow and rotate. The energy coming from the tree was almost visible, and the goblet of water on Harry's chest glowed to match the magic that was radiating off the half-demoness in waves.

  
  


Suddenly, the dagger stopped its lazy spin, and turned itself on its side. Rowan stretched her palm out, offering her right wrist to the blade and nodded to Sirius to do the same. Nervousness curled its stealthy way through his tense muscles, but he mirrored her actions and extended his right hand. The dagger stood up on its point between them, then moved and carved a rune into his wrist, exactly where the silvery mark appeared on Rowan's wrist. It then moved to Rowan and carved a similar mark into the mark itself.

  
  


Blood welled up from the wounds and dripped directly into the cup of water over Harry's heart, staining it a murky red. The dagger then flew swiftly from between them and settled into Merlin's hand and he stepped forward and knelt at Harry's head.

  
  


"Know now that since your lives have crossed, you have formed ties between each other," he intoned softly. "The promises you make today and the ties that are bound here will cross the years and will greatly strengthen your union. With full awareness, know that you declare your intent to be joined before all you love both living and dead. Do you still seek to complete this ceremony?"

  
  


"Yes," they both answered. Merlin nodded his acceptance of their answer before tracing a third rune into the water with the bloody tip of the dagger. The liquid thickened and a slight current rippled across its surface as it changed from murky red to a pale gold.

  
  


"You have accepted this guardianship freely. All three have experienced the anger and pain that can burden dreams and laughter. You have accepted the challenge to temper your lives with them rather than be broken by them. As Head of the Myfanwy Clan and I accept this binding. Harry Potter is now your combined ward and heir of the Myfanwy Clan. The knots of this binding are not formed by chords or the blood you have given, but rather by your acceptance and convictions. You hold in your own hands the success or failure of this union."

  
  


Merlin leaned forward, holding a single leaf plucked from the Tree between his fingers and added it to the gleaming potion. Instantly, the leaf disappeared in a cascade of gold sparks that washed over Harry's still form. When they subsided, the potion was left with a clear green hue.

  
  


After a long moment, Harry stirred, the first bit of movement he'd made since they'd arrived, and gradually opened his eyes. 

  
  


Rowan picked up the shallow bowl and gestured for Sirius to prop Harry up. Harry certainly didn't seem capable of doing it himself. He looked confused and his normally clear green eyes were cloudy, not quite focusing on any of them. Sirius wrapped an arm around his godson's shoulder and shifted him into a more or less sitting position while Rowan tipped a bit of the green potion into his mouth.

  
  


"Drink," she commanded softly. Harry obediently swallowed twice before turning his head away. He hadn't completely drained the bowl, but Rowan seemed satisfied and managed a wan smile for Sirius as he resettled the sleeping boy. Harry, Sirius was relieved to note, was truly sleeping this time. His breathing was even and slow, and he'd lost the deathlike stillness from earlier.

  
  


Sirius sent Rowan a questioning look, not sure if he dared speak with the wild magic still crackling in the air. She smiled, tired but bright, and nodded. The binding was made. And he, Sirius noticed with a start, was married!

  
  


Rowan moved a bit away from Harry and used a bit of clean water from the urn to rinse away the blood on her wrist and hand. She conjured a bandage to cover her still-bleeding wrist before moving to tend to Sirius's wrist as well.

  
  


"It wasn't quite James and Lily's wedding," he chuckled, stealing a kiss from his studious wife's lips. "But it was definitely good."

~*~

Harry woke to the gentle light of dawn and distant birdsong in the Tree's upper boughs. Against his better judgment, he'd given into the soothing presence of the Tree and his own exhaustion and fallen asleep. If it was dawn, he hadn't slept more than a few hours and he didn't feel much better for it. His dreams had been odd. Not frightening, but odd. He could feel an odd tingled spreading through his muscles and skin. And, he noticed with a wince, there was a root in his back.

  
  


"Oh, I think he has enough shocks lined up for one morning," a familiar voice commented, waking Harry the rest of the way. He sat up, the heavy cloak that had been covering him falling to his waist. His glasses he found after a moment of searching. The rest of the room came into focus and Harry found himself sitting on the springy moss beneath the Tree with his cloak spread beneath him, and a heavier one made of soft velvet covering his legs. 

  
  


Sirius noticed that he was awake and waved him over to where Rowan and Merlin also sat. Merlin, Harry noted enviously, didn't look the slightest bit tired even though he'd stayed awake the entire night. Sirius, undoubtedly more used to functioning on little sleep than Harry, also looked annoyingly chipper. Harry had to smile at Rowan, though. She looked tired and was leaning against Sirius with her eyes half-lidded. Harry sank to a spot on the other side of Sirius and fought his own urge to doze.

  
  


Then, for the first time, Harry noticed a long and deep box of polished wood sitting near them on the ground and the bandages wrapped around their wrists. He swallowed nervously and allowed himself a small bit of fear, wishing he had grown up with magic like Ron and Ginny had. Maybe then this wouldn't all feel so utterly new. The only things keeping him from asking for it to be called off were that he'd be able to leave the Dursleys, and that Merlin had assured him earlier that he probably wouldn't even notice the change much. He would gain a small mark, the same as Rowan's, on the inside of his right wrist. Harry noted with some amusement that the Dursleys probably wouldn't allow him back into their house with a magical tattoo on his wrist anyway. 

  
  


"Harry," Sirius said, interrupting Harry's thoughts. "We were wondering if you and your friends wanted to spend Easter at Hogwarts or here. You've never had a real holiday from school, have you?"

  
  


Harry blinked. "Shouldn't we worry about the ritual first?"

  
  


"It's complete." Rowan opened her eyes the rest of the way and unwrapped her wrist to show him the rune carved into her skin. "You're fine. We're sorry you were unconscious for most of it."

  
  


Harry's mind reeled. "Unconscious?" he managed to choke out. For some reason, he was having a difficult time accepting that the ritual he'd just been worrying over was over. And that he'd slept through it! "I just fell asleep, why didn't one of you wake me up?"

"We couldn't," Merlin told him sombrely.

  
  


"You woke up for the last bit," Rowan commented. "So you didn't sleep through all of it, but you had us worried."

  
  


"My estimate that you had a full day before the curse would try to claim your soul was optimistic, apparently." 

  
  


Harry looked down to see a delicate silver tree tracing the pale skin of his wrist. The mark. Which meant they were telling the truth and he was now part demon. And officially free of the Dursleys!

  
  


A burst of laughter and disgruntled growling startled Harry out of his examination of the tiny mark. He turned and saw Ger and Morgaine just entering the shade cast by the boughs of the Tree with Lupin and Ron, Ginny, and Hermione just behind them. Ger was glaring evilly at his sister and Harry reached up and scrubbed at his eyes, not quite believing and wondering how what he was seeing had happened. Ger's dark hair, which had been neatly trimmed a few hours earlier, now reached well below his waist in a solid sheet of glistening black and he didn't look like he quite knew what to do with it all.

  
  


"Yes, Morgaine, it's bloody hilarious," he sighed. "I know! Now leave it alone! Rowan!" Ger stormed up and glared down at her, one hand on his hip. "I've no idea how you managed it, but please tell me you've had your fun. I've ruined a pair of scissors, one of your knives and nearly destroyed my wand trying to undo the consequences of your little hissy fit! Take this charm off! And tell her," he pointed at their sister, "to stop acting like she's seven." 

  
  


Rowan raised an eyebrow in mock-sympathy, Sirius didn't even bother to hide his laughter at the situation. "It's long and indestructible?"

  
  


He reached up to finger the tips of his ears. "At least I didn't get pointed ears in the bargain."

  
  


Morgaine reached up and cuffed him. "You still look like an elf, you prat." Ger growled impressively at her. She smiled back, but the amount of her pretty white teeth showing made it look more like saccharine bearing of fangs.

  
  


"You will learn more if Rowan doesn't undo the spell right away," Merlin commented mildly, interrupting the siblings' antics. Only the subdued twinkle in his eyes betraying his amusement. "In fact, I don't think she should. If you don't know that counter-spell, you may use the library to discover it."

  
  


"Grandfather!" Ger wailed. "It's going to get in the way!"

  
  


"Puppy," Morgaine snorted. Rowan shot her a quelling look and decided to take some small measure of pity on her sulking brother as she sat him down in front of her, parted his hair into three strands and began braiding it.

  
  


"How're you doing?" Ron asked uncertainly, edging closer with Hermione and Ginny beside him.

  
  


"I slept through most of it," Harry grinned sheepishly. "And we'll probably be owling paperwork into the Ministry for the next week, but this feels good."

  
  


"Wonder what Fudge'll say about you living with Sirius Black," Ron grinned. "The Daily Prophet's going to have a field day."

  
  


"It will serve him right after everything they've written about Harry!" Hermione smirked. "Maybe he'll believe You-Know-Who's back now."

  
  


"That will probably take Death Eaters running starkers through his office," Ron sniggered. "The man's an idiot, honestly."

  
  


Harry's laughter at the image was cut off and his eyes widened as Ginny suddenly leapt into his arms - knocking his glasses wildly askew - and planted her lips firmly on his own. After a moment of stunned amazement, Harry realised that Ginny was kissing him and responded by wrapping his arms tentatively around her waist and gently kissing her back. Ginny sighed softly against his lips before pulling back and slapping him with all her might.

  
  


"What was that for?" Harry yelped, holding his reddening cheek. Ginny Weasley had quite an arm! Dimly, some part of his mind made a note to talk her into trying out for a Beater position the next year.

  
  


"You scared me!" Ginny half-screamed at him, bursting into tears. Harry very carefully stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her in a way he hoped was comforting, but prepared to spring away if she made any move to attack him again. Ron just shrugged and mouthed at him to say something.

  
  


"Um . . . I'll try not to again?"

  
  


She sighed heavily and pulled away. "You won't keep that promise, so don't make it."

  
  


Harry blinked at her. It wasn't like he'd intentionally got himself cursed! 

  
  


Thankfully, Rowan chose to interrupt right then. "The rest of you can laze about or explore if you want," she yawned, listing slightly into Sirius to stay upright. "But we've been awake all night and I don't want to see anything but a pillow for a few hours." Sirius nodded his agreement of her plan and added his own yawn. They waved a tired goodbye before Apparating out of sight.

  
  


"So, what should we do for the day?" Ron asked.

  
  


Harry shrugged. "Anything we want? Try not to get too lost?"

  
  


"We could start revising for the O.W.Ls," Hermione answered promptly and glared huffily when Ron and Harry groaned.

  
  


"Hermione," Ron said a bit desperately. "We're in CaerMyrddin and you want to study for exams that are months away?!"

  
  


"It's Merlin's castle!" she argued back staunchly. "I'm sure they have an incredible library."

  
  


"We do," Ger nodded, strolling over to them, his hair now contained in a long braid that trailed behind him. "But I think you'd enjoy seeing more of the castle or trying out the Quidditch Pitch."

Ron's eyes widened in delight at this news.

  
  


"Besides," Ger continued, smiling to placate Hermione (who didn't look ecstatic at the idea of a Quidditch Pitch), "if you spend Easter here you'll probably see more of the library, laboratory and observatory than you want. You'll be revising for the O.W.Ls."

  
  


Harry winced. The Dursleys wouldn't have cared what score he earned, but he could bet that Sirius and Rowan would. "Ger, do you know how many O.W.Ls Sirius and Rowan earned?"

  
  


"Twelve each," Ger answered promptly, then reached out and ruffled his hair. "And you won't enjoy your summer holiday if you don't too, nephew of mine."

  
  


Harry sighed, but couldn't quite keep the grin from his face. They hadn't won. They hadn't really even gained ground, but they hadn't lost any either. More importantly - to him anyway - he, Harry Potter, finally had a family that actually wanted him. Harry's new home, the slightly mended family, even the odd tingle Harry could feel lurking just beneath his skin as the demon blood took a firmer hold; none of it affected Voldemort directly. However, Harry found he didn't mind. For the moment, even a measure of peace was enough for him to be content with his strange world.~Fin~

  
  



End file.
